COVID-Stricken Oregon Deploys National Guard to Hospitals

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon's governor says she will deploy up to 1,500 National Guard troops to hospitals around the state to support healthcare workers as COVID-19 surges amid the rapid spread of the Delta variant.

Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, says starting Aug. 20 she will send an initial 500 Guard members to serve as equipment runners in hospitals and help with COVID-19 testing, among other things.

There are 733 people hospitalized with the virus in Oregon, including 185 in intensive care units.

Hospitals have warned they are near capacity as the state endures a fourth wave of the outbreak.