Minnesota National Guard Mobilizes to Support State COVID-19 Response Efforts

(KNSI) — Starting Monday, 75 soldiers and airmen from the Minnesota National Guard are preparing to support the state’s COVID-19 response efforts after Governor Tim Walz’s request on October 13th.

The governor asked the guard for support at community-based testing sites in greater Minnesota and the Twin Cities.

Army Col. Scott Rohweder is the guard’s Director of Operations. In a press release, he explains, “The service members will be broken into seven teams assisting civil authorities at various sites with conducting testing facility management, performing administrative tasks, and administering COVID-19 tests.”

The Minnesota National Guard is no stranger to helping out with COVID-19 related missions. The press release explains that from March 2020 until Sept. 2021, the Minnesota National Guard mobilized nearly 970 service members to support the state’s health emergency plan. The guard was sent to 45 different sites across the state, testing nearly 350,000 people from May 2020 through June 2021.

The guard also helped with vaccination activities at 12 sites administering 10,500 COVID-19 vaccinations from January to May 2021, conducted nasal testing in 280 long-term care facilities for more than 72,000 residents and staff, trained 413 temporary nursing assistants and augmented 22 long-term care facilities that experienced COVID-19 outbreaks amongst the staff between October 2020 and January 2021.

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