Gov. Mike DeWine on Thursday said he was concerned about the number of Ohio Army National Guard members that haven’t been vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Obviously I am not happy with 53%,” DeWine said, as those who are unvaccinated would not be able to assist inside hospitals. “This is a high-risk operation… we’re continuing to push that.”
DeWine’s remarks came after he met with members of the Ohio National Guard at the Defense Supply Center in Whitehall. They were preparing for duty to assist understaffed Ohio hospitals dealing with an influx of COVID-19 patients.
Approximately 2,300 members have been activated by the governor to relieve the pressure on hospitals, while Ohio has broken its daily record for COVID-19 hospitalizations at least eight days in a row. As of Wednesday, 6,457 Ohioans were in the hospital with the virus.
The Ohio National Guard has a vaccination rate of 56%
Ohio Adjutant General Major General John C. Harris, Jr. said that the vaccination rate for the Ohio National Guard has improved slightly, with about 300 more individuals having gotten vaccinated in recent weeks.
Right now, 56% of the Ohio Army National Guard is fully vaccinated, up from 53% only a few weeks prior. Another 11% has gotten a first dose of the COVID-19 shot, Harris said.
The Pentagon has issued a deadline of June 30 for vaccination, but Harris has moved the Ohio National Guard’s deadline up to March 31. He said with the mandate, he expects to see the rate shoot up similarly to those of Ohio’s Air National Guard, where the vaccination rate hovers above 90%.
“The reality is the vaccine is a part of medical readiness. I would never put a soldier or airmen in harm’s way without the best protection… body armor, helmet,” said Harris. “I would be an irresponsible leader if I did that. And this medical readiness is the exact same thing.”
As of Thursday, the second bunch of 1,250 Ohio National Guard units was being processed and deployed.
Many will be helping hospitals however they can, from observing patients to setting up more COVID-19 test sites near the vicinity of hospitals.
Most Guard deployed in northern Ohio
Right now, about 65% of deployed units are in the northern part of the state, 20% are in the central part while another 15% are in southern Ohio. But that could shift quickly.
“The decisions about where they are deployed are made daily,” DeWine emphasized.
He and Harris praised Guard members for stepping up during a time of need.
Eric Lamb, a specialist in the Army and a military police officer, said he joined the National Guard to help his community. “That’s why we serve. Very happy to be here. Very proud to be here.”
Testing has been in high demand as the faster-spreading omicron variant spreads.
Harris encouraged Ohioans to check ahead of time whether certain sites are walk-in or would require registering in advance. The governor acknowledged meeting the demand for testing would be difficult, saying the supply nationwide for tests has never been up to par.
