Indiana National Guard set to help long term care facilities

Long term care facilities in Indiana are seeing a rise in COVID-19 case numbers in their communities.

Now, the state of Indiana is sending in the National Guard to help.

Good evening and thanks for joining us.

Local and state health officials are keeping a close eye on what they are calling "hot spots" for covid-19.

Now -- the state is stepping in to help outbreaks at long term facilites...nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

News 10's sarah lehman is live in our nesroom.

In your top story tonight... she has more on why this is important and what you could see right here.

Covid -19 numbers continue to surge across the coutnry and world.

Some long term care facilities are seeing major spikes in their population.

So -- the state of indiana is sending in the national guard to help.

Fifty eight percent of indiana's total covid-19 deaths come from residents in long term care facilities from the start -- these facilites have been a concern.

They house a high risk group in close quarters.

"unfortunately we've seen that play out over the last 8 months.

/// we are now experincing a surge in covid in our long term care facilites."

So -- the state has announced it will deploy the indiana national guard to long term care facilites.

They will help with testing... reporting test results.... screening employees... and simple infection control practices.

This way -- the facility staff can focus on patient care.

Right now -- the indiana national guard will only be going to facilites with postive cases.

Silver birch here in terre haute isn't one of those.

"we currently do not have have covid positives" that's crystal rickards.

She's the executive director for silver birch living in terre haute.

Right now -- her team is doing what the national guard would be tasked in doing.

She says that's how they are keeping an eye on their numbers "we are doing a screening everyday for our staff and everyone who enters the community they have to take their temperature and answer our 5 questionnaire.

We are also monitoring our residents temperature everyday."

The goal is the goal is to start this november first in facilites that have positive cases.

Eventually they'll expand to all 535 facilites across the state.

Reporting live in the newsroom... i'm sarah lehman news 10.

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