Governor Kelly announced that her administration has deployed 80 nonmedical Soldiers and Airmen from the Kansas National Guard to support the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s testing sites across the state and assist with the shipment and delivery of personal protective equipment.

Additionally, Kelly engaged the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Veterans Health Administration to provide limited acute care and Intensive Care Unit beds for temporary medical treatment of non-eligible VA individuals to help reduce the strain on Kansas hospitals.

This as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to spread rapidly, taking a toll on health care workers and patients. The vast majority of hospital patients have been unvaccinated.

Military medical professionals in the Kansas Guard, already filling positions at medical facilities in their communities, will stay in their respective communities. The nonmedical Soldiers and Airmen will be on federal orders for 31 days to assist the additional efforts.

The Veterans Health Administration facilities are limited and available based on bed availability at time of need and on a case-by-case basis until February 17, 2022.

Since Wednesday, January 19, 2022, Kansas reported 20,806 new cases of COVID-19, 29 new deaths, and 92 new hospitalizations.

The Kansas National Guard is one of many resources available to support counties as needed. The National Guard supports state emergency missions through the established process used by the Kansas Division of Emergency Management.

Governor Kelly signed a state disaster declaration on January 6 to alleviate hospital staffing shortages along with two executive orders to temporarily suspend certain restrictions and regulations for adult care home and hospital staff.