WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – While the goal of the COVID-19 testing site at Mohegan Sun Arena is to test members of the Luzerne County community, the safety of those operating the testing site is a high priority.
The site is being operated by Pennsylvania National Guard members and officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
“We conducted a lot of training, a lot of hands-on training, and we were thoroughly trained by the 3rd CBRN Task Force who headed up the mission in Montgomery County to do their COVID-19 testing site as well,” said 2nd Lt. Brianna Stetts, medical operations officer for the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, and a Williamsport, Pa. native.
Stetts, officer in charge of the decontamination process at the testing site, makes sure her Soldiers understand the importance of decontaminating everyone who comes off the line.
“That entitles decontaminating the site and protecting our troops from the possible exposure to the virus,” she said.
Everyone who comes off the line must exit through the decontamination tent. Personal protective equipment such as gloves and facemasks are properly disposed of in hazard bags.
"We also spray down their boots to make sure they are not transferring any of the virus from the dirty side which is under the tents where the [testing occurs], to the clean side where we will be operating in our tents and stuff," Stetts said.
Several Soldiers, like Sgt. Colin Benkert, Delta Company, 1-109th IN, and a Scranton, Pa. native, rotate in teams to assist those individuals from coming off the testing line.
“The biggest thing is making sure that they are following proper procedures,” said Benkert. “Obviously, a three-hour shift is long, so making sure they are taking off their gloves right, taking off their facemask right, and then we spray down their boots so they are not tracking anything out on their boots.
“And then, making sure they are washing their hands, because that is the most important thing,” said Benkert.
In addition to the personnel operating the site, the site itself is also cleaned multiple times a day.
“Three times a day we spray down all of the facilities,” said Benkert. "From the [Food tent] to the porta johns, everything gets sprayed. So, the beginning of the day, end of the day, and halfway through the day; and then the actual testing tents are sprayed at the beginning and end of the day with a bleach solution."
Protecting the people working at the testing site and supporting the community is why Stetts said she joined the Pennsylvania National Guard.
“I love to help people,” she said. “And doing this – I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
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