SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KRON) – To help with COVID-19 testing facilities and capacity, Governor Gavin Newsom activated the California National Guard to support local communities.
As COVID cases continue to rise, demand for testing has too. California has 6,000 existing testing sites.
“California has led the country’s fight against COVID-19, implementing first-in-the-nation public health measures that have helped save tens of thousands of lives,” said Governor Newsom. “We continue to support communities in their response to COVID by bolstering testing capacity.”
More than 200 Cal Guard members will be deployed across 50 sites to help add capacity for walk-ins, assist with crowd control, and backfilling for staff absences.
In the Bay Area, National Guard members will be in:
- Alameda
- Contra Costa
- Napa
- Santa Clara
- Santa Cruz
Officials say 90% of California residents live within 30 minutes from a COVID testing site.
More members are set to be deployed next week.
