Oct 15, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Minnesota National Guard to assist with hospital staffing shortages

Kierra Frazier

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on April 19. Photo: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Gov. Tim Walz (D) announced Friday that he'll put the Minnesota National Guard on alert to help ease staffing shortages at hospitals and care facilities due to the rise in COVID-19 cases among unvaccinated residents in the state.

Driving the news: Over 400 Minnesota patients are currently waiting for beds to open up at other care centers as hospitals across the state have reported that they're at or close to reaching capacity, AP reports.

There are nearly 1,000 COVID-19 patients in the state's hospitals and only 5% of intensive care beds were open on Thursday, the Star Tribune reports.
The Minnesota Department of Public Health announced Friday that the state had an additional 3,352 COVID-19 cases and 28 more deaths.
Walz said it's unclear how many members of the National Guard will be deployed.

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Minnesota National Guard to assist with hospital staffing shortages

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