Photo By Staff Sgt. Adeline Witherspoon | Joint Task Force Steelhead, the Washington National Guard’s COVID-19 response force,...... read more read more
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CAMP MURRAY, Wash. – Joint Task Force Steelhead, the Washington National Guard’s COVID-19 response force, has concluded its mission in support of the Washington State Department of Health, marking another milestone in the fight against COVID-19 and the gradual return to normalcy.
The Spokane and Benton County mobile vaccination teams, and Medical Surge team, demobilized on July 20, 2021, in accordance with directives from the state health department, and federal and local emergency management agencies. The teams were the last active Guard assets augmenting state health department initiatives. JTF Steelhead support efforts have included test kit assembly, COVID-19 testing, vaccination distribution, and isolation and quarantine capabilities.
“Everyone was so welcoming and appreciative of us being there,” said Army National Guard Sgt. Valorie Reed, a healthcare specialist with the JTF Steelhead mobile vaccination teams. “I’m grateful that we were able to fulfill a need in the community.”
In January of 2021, JTF Steelhead shifted focus from community based COVID-19 testing sites to supporting health department vaccination efforts statewide. The Guard helped establish and operate community-based vaccination sites in Wenatchee, Spokane, Kennewick, and Ridgefield, to ensure availability to as many citizens as possible. Three mobile vaccination teams--with two more added in late April--were stood up to provide vaccination services to remote and under-served communities in the state.
“With each of our clinics, there is a sense of joy and relief from the residents as they come through the doors,” said Army National Guard Capt. April Kuck, a mobile vaccination team leader. “There is a real sense of excitement and relief at each of our clinics.”
Since Gov. Jay Inslee’s emergency declaration in March of 2020, the Guard has supported the state Department of Health by assembling nearly 450,000 COVID-19 testing kits--facilitating the testing of more than 75,000 people at community-based testing sites throughout Washington--and administered almost 260,000 COVID-19 vaccines. The MedSurge team has transported 661 ventilators, delivered 525 hospital beds, and provided isolation and quarantine services to nearly 260 patients.
“If it weren’t for the [Washington] National Guard or other state agencies participating in this, we would not be at all close to being able to respond to the magnitude we have,” said Carrie Corder, a logistics manager with the Washington State Department of Health. “The National Guard has been critical to all of this response.”
| Date Taken: | 07.21.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 08.12.2021 15:29 |
| Story ID: | 402670 |
| Location: | CAMP MURRAY, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 119 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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