The Hawaii National Guard will help with airport screenings and other tasks to help battle the growing pandemic.
“It’s going to get worse before it gets better,” Gov. David Ige said at a briefing Friday. “The fight against COVID-19 is a marathon. We can only be successful if we work together as a community.”
Health officials are trying to slow the spread because Hawaii is running low on personal protective equipment, ventilators and other needed medical supplies.
Starting Monday, the National Guard will serve as additional manpower in the state’s response to the pandemic. They will be taking temperatures and other medical screenings of passengers at Hawaii airports and helping to coordinate the distribution of medical supplies and personal protective equipment around the islands.
The troops also will boost manpower at the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency operations center and the state’s COVID-19 Joint Information Center and will provide security and law enforcement backup on all the islands, including helping with security checkpoints on Kauai.
By Kristofel Abella
Ka Lā staff writer
Sources:
KHON – Gov. Activates Hawaii National Guard to help with pandemic
Honolulu Star Advertiser – Hawaii National Guard to help with airport screenings as state records 3rd coronavirus death
Honolulu Civil Beat – Hawaii National Guard Called Out To Help With Coronavirus Response
