MA Coronavirus: Nursing Homes Get Helping Hand From Guardsmen

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — When the first resident at the Residence at Vinnin Square in Swampscott tested positive for the new coronavirus earlier this week, one of the first calls Executive Director Sara Rizzari made was to the Massachusetts National Guard.

"I am calling the National Guard today," Rizzari said in an email to residents' families on Wednesday. "They project up to 5 days til they arrive but other places had them come very quickly."

By Friday morning, Guardsmen were unpacking testing equipment from vans in front of the assisted living facility. By the time they left and headed to another long-term care home, every resident and staff member would be tested for the new coronavirus.

Since being called up last month, 1,500 Guardsmen have played a crucial role in expanding the state medical system's ability to test for the virus. Many of the soldiers are running mobile testing labs like the one that was in Swampscott Friday. By the end of the day Thursday, soldiers from the Massachusetts National Guard had visited 247 nursing homes and conducted 13,847 tests, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Related Story: MA Releases Coronavirus Case Counts For North Shore Nursing Homes

"These are reserve soldiers. They normally serve in a combat surgical hospital," Army Chief of Staff General James McConville said at an April 18 news conference with Gov. Charlie Baker. "They’re working side by side with commonwealth partners to take care of COVID patients."

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The focus on nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities stems from the fact that no population in Massachusetts has been harder hit by COVID-19. As of Thursday, 8,435 residents and staff members at Massachusetts nursing homes had tested positive for the new coronavirus, and 283 long term care facilities in the state were reporting at least one case of COVID-19. Nursing home residents accounted for 1,316, or 55.8 percent, of the 2,360 coronavirus-related deaths in Massachusetts.

"The military’s job is to protect the nation," McConville said. "We have a threat right now, and that’s why we’re here to assist communities like Massachusetts and Boston."

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Dave Copeland writes for Patch and can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).