W.Va. Guard outlines sixth line of effort for COVID-19 response

CHARLESTON, WV, UNITED STATES

04.27.2020

Story by Maj. Holli Nelson 

West Virginia National Guard

The West Virginia National Guard’s (WVNG) adjutant general, Maj. Gen. James Hoyer, today added a sixth line of effort to our COVID-19 response, including state surge capacity and capability as an objective moving forward.

“As we move forward with our operations and reopening West Virginia, this additional line of effort will support the safe and effective response plan Governor Justice has laid out in the ‘West Virginia Strong The Comeback’ plan,” stated Hoyer.

Since beginning operations in support of the state’s COVID-19 response 45 days ago, the WVNG has completed 674 missions through our six lines of effort of operationalizing of the event, stabilizing the population, providing logistical movement of critical supplies, innovation, state surge capacity and capability, and conducting data analysis to combat the virus. Currently, 704 members of the WVNG are on duty serving the citizens of the State of West Virginia.

Today, members of Task Force CRE are providing additional PPE training to the West Virginia State Police and supporting area healthcare facilities and retail establishments with PPE training. Members are also providing assistance for COVID-19 drive through testing lanes at three locations. To date, this team has trained 660 stores, 3,184 personnel and 67 medical or long-term care facilities.

West Virginia Guard personnel assisting in sanitization lanes for first responder and public transport vehicles have sanitized 177 vehicles in two locations – Huntington and Charleston – which includes ambulances, police vehicles and public transport buses.

Guard members from Task Force Innovation conducted an additional validation test at the Federal Aviation Administration building today using aerosolized hydrogen peroxide to sanitize HVAC ducts. The process to receive results of the test takes up to 48 hours.

Task Force Sustainment, our team dedicated to receiving and moving critical supplies across the state, continues their mission of distributing PPE to various county emergency managers and pushed supplies to two counties yesterday. Over the weekend, this team delivered PPE supplies to all four counties in the state and is expected to do additional deliveries today.

In the last 24 hours, West Virginia Guardsmen and women assisted in inventory and sanitization at both food bank locations in Gassaway and Huntington. Yesterday, 2,205 meals were delivered to Pleasants, Ritchie, Barbour and Gilmer Counties via refrigerated trailers and today, 3,952 meals will be delivered to Braxton, Wirt, Pocahontas, Webster and Tyler Counties. In addition, the West Virginia Guard will assist in transporting 15,000 meals from Tamarack to Peterstown and Mountain View Elementary schools.

West Virginia National Guard medical personnel augmenting DHHR’s regional epidemiology teams were able to support 90 voluntary COVID-19 mapping engagements. To date, the state’s seven regional epidemiology teams have conducted more than 3,947 voluntary COVID-19 mappings.

In addition to our state response efforts, over the weekend more than 50 members of the 130th Airlift Wing located in Charleston departed for an overseas deployment to the Middle East. These members will be providing airlift and airlift support via C-130 Hercules to deliver combat power to joint and coalition forces in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

Currently, more than 900 members of the WVNG are deployed around the globe.

All current and future missions performed by the WVNG are a part of a coordinated state-level public health preparation and response effort for the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, initiated by Governor Jim Justice, and being led by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.

• Date Taken: 04.27.2020
• Date Posted: 04.27.2020 16:10
• Story ID: 368588
• Location: CHARLESTON, WV, US