400 troops from the Indiana National Guard at Camp Atterbury will soon be helping Indiana’s long-term care facilities and nursing homes.
The guard says the soldiers will report to 135 of the hardest hit facilities by Monday. More than 1,300 will be activated in the coming weeks to serve all of Indiana’s facilities.
The move comes as infections in long-term care facilities mirror what is happening in communities across the state. Brigadier General Dale Lyles says the surge of new cases in recent weeks prompted this response.
"We started to recognize the data that was showing this upward trend about three weeks ago," he said. "So we started to put the strategy together in that week that has now led to the dispatch of the soldiers."
The Indiana State Department of Health says their role is not to provide patient care but to assist in other ways.
For the latest news and resources about COVID-19, bookmark our Coronavirus In Indiana page here .
