Biden highlights federal ‘boost’ to help better weather

WASHINGTON (AP)

President Joe Biden is highlighting the federal government’s effort to “boost” military medical staff to help overwhelmed medical facilities weather a spike in coronavirus cases and shortages. personnel due to the highly infectious omicron variant.

Starting next week, 1,000 military medical personnel will begin arriving to help reduce staff stress at hospitals around the country. Many facilities are struggling as their workers are quarantined at home due to the virus and the number of COVID-19 cases spike nationwide. The new rollout will be based on other federal health workers who have been sent to states to help with severe shortages.

The White House said Biden was scheduled to make remarks Thursday morning about the “spike response” to COVID-19. The administration’s focus is shifting to easing disruption as a nationwide spike in cases has also contributed to grocery shortages and flight cancellations.

On Tuesday, Janet Woodcock, head of the Food and Drug Administration, told Congress that the highly contagious strain would infect “most people”; focus should shift to ensuring critical services can continue uninterrupted.

“I think it’s hard to process what’s really happening right now, which is: Most people will get COVID, okay?” she speaks. “What we need to do is make sure hospitals can still function – transportation, other essential services are not disrupted while this happens.”

The White House said Biden will be joined by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who recently recovered from his own COVID-19 case, and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. They will highlight the work of the more than 800 military personnel who have helped civilian hospitals since Thanksgiving and the more than 14,000 National Guard members whose work supports immunizations, testing and care for patients in need. paid for by the federal government.

The White House said the trio will speak to federal employees already in Arizona, Michigan and New York to hear about their experiences.

Biden will also announce that six additional medical teams will be deployed to Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio and Rhode Island.

The White House said teams will support Henry Ford Hospital just outside Detroit, University Hospital in Newark, University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn, Cleveland Clinic and Rhode Island Hospital in Providence.

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