11 September
The Hawaii National Guard (HING) Joint Task Force (JTF) is working with Honolulu County and multiple agencies to support a Covid-19 surge testing programme on a freeway. A total of 60,000 free self-administered Covid-19 swab test were conducted in Oahu. The John A. Burns Freeway (H-3), and it’s Tetsuo Harano Tunnels served as a drive-thru test site. About 800 soldiers and airmen are supporting more than three-dozen missions carried out on six islands on a daily basis. HING JTF Task Force Oahu Company Bravo senior non-commissioned officer 1st sergeant Lane Martinez said: “Two units from the HING are also assisting the city and county of Honolulu by providing onsite surge testing registration support.”
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Experts from the US Army Public Health Center (APHC) are encouraging people to strictly follow all Covid-19 health and safety recommendations. APHC Clinical Public Health and Epidemiology acting director Dr Raúl Mirza said that people should follow the science and not myths. He also noted that although researchers are still learning more about how the virus spreads, scientific evidence shows that individuals with the SARS-CoV-2 virus may be contagious days before they develop symptoms and test positive. Mirza said: “Cloth face coverings or masks are a necessary barrier to reduce the spread of respiratory droplets into the immediate environment when the wearer coughs, sneezes, raises their voice, or talks.”
Several hundreds of Army Reserve soldiers are supporting supply requirements in the US state of Texas, reported DVIDS. Nearly 590 military medical and support personnel from the US Army and US Navy in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Texas. The soldiers are deployed as part of the Department of Defense support to the FEMA’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
