ALLEGAN, Mich. – The Michigan National Guard was in Allegan County Aug. 8 providing free COVID-19 tests to the public and training civilian testing contractors on safe testing protocol.
These contractors will also be joining the fight against COVID at testing sites around the state.
“We’re demonstrating the process for the civilian contractors, showing them how to conduct the testing sites, do the nasal swabs and transfer the testing kits,” said Staff Sgt. Jack King.
A team leader with the Michigan National Guard’s 182nd Task Force, King has been part of the COVID-19 testing mission since its beginning over three months ago. He has seen the progress the Guard has made testing Michiganders across the state.
Guard members have administered more than 110,000 tests at more than 230 long-term care facilities, 85 Michigan Department of Corrections facilities and dozens of community-based testing sites.
King knows how much the medics practiced to make sure they were as proficient as possible before they started testing the public and conducting training.
“I think it’s a wonderful experience. They’ve been doing it for so long and they’ve been very helpful letting us practice with them,” said Deborah Kearby, a registered nurse with Interim Healthcare. “They’re pretty efficient and I think that will help us to be just as efficient.”
The group was going to train in Lansing in a classroom; instead, they were in Allegan County seeing firsthand how the Michigan Guard handles COVID-19 testing in the state.
“It was a pleasant surprise to come here today and see that we were going to be trained by the National Guard,” said Kearby.
How the National Guard is helping
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