The state will send 10 New York National Guard medical staff to the A. Holly Patterson long-term care facility in Uniondale next week to address staffing shortages, officials said on Saturday.

The plan is part of a larger deployment of 120 National Guard medical personnel to several nursing homes and long-term care facilities across the state that have suffered staff shortages due to the pandemic , officials said.

“We have worked with nursing homes across the state to identify where these medical teams will have the most impact on regional health systems,” the state health ministry spokesperson said. , Erin Silk.

Meanwhile, state officials said on Saturday that three more confirmed cases of the omicron COVID-19 variant had been discovered – all in New York City – bringing the state’s total to eight.

In addition, Long Island and the state continue to see new cases of COVID-19 and rates of positivity skyrocket as winter approaches, the new variant is spreading and many people still refuse to be. vaccinate.

The 10 National Guard medical staff are expected to arrive at Uniondale facility earlier this week, and the facility will decide what tasks they will perform, the National Guard spokesperson said. State, Richard Goldenberg. They will stay as long as they are needed, he said.

“Across the state, various nursing homes are experiencing staff shortages. We will be providing additional manpower,” he said.

Goldenberg said he hopes this effort will allow more inpatients to return to their long-term care facilities, freeing up space in hospitals.

National Guard personnel have a level of medical training comparable to civilian paramedics, said State National Guard spokesman Eric Durr.

“The difference between them and a civilian EMT is that our medics are trained to do it while someone shoots them,” he said.

Medical staff will continue to be paid by the federal government and receive a housing allowance, he said. They will generally be deployed in teams of two.

Many long-term care facilities were already experiencing staff shortages before COVID-19. The pandemic – and the vaccination mandate for these workers – has led to additional staff leaving.

A. Holly Patterson Extended Care officials did not respond to requests for comment on Saturday.

So far, arrangements have also been made to deploy teams to: Shaker Place Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Albany County; Monroe Community Hospital in Monroe County; and the Loretto Health and Rehabilitation Center in Onondaga County.

Other locations include the MVHS Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Oneida County; Clinton County Retirement Home; Willow Point Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Broome County; Pines Health Care and Rehabilitation Centers in Cattaraugus County; Terrace View Long-Term Care Facility in Erie County; and the Wayne County Nursing Home.

More than 1,000 state National Guard personnel have been involved in the pandemic efforts for about 18 months, Goldenberg said. They have been used in virus testing and vaccination sites and in food distribution efforts.

Omicron cases in New York drop to 8

Elsewhere, the eight cases of the omicron variant now confirmed in New York City are all in the upstate: seven New York City residents and one from Suffolk County, officials said.

The Long Island case concerns a 67-year-old woman who recently returned from South Africa, Governor Kathy Hochul said. The woman tested positive on Tuesday.

“We knew the omicron variant was coming and we expect to see more cases. But let me be clear: we are not helpless,” Hochul said in a statement on Saturday. “We have the tools to help prevent the spread of this deadly virus: Get vaccinated, get your booster and wear your mask. Let’s use these tools to protect ourselves and our loved ones as the holidays approach.”

State Health Commissioner Dr Mary T. Bassett said officials are seeing the start of community spread of the omicron variant.

“At this time, we don’t know how quickly omicron will spread or how severe the symptoms of omicron will be,” Bassett said. “What we are seeing is that the increase in cases in New York State continues to be attributed to the delta variant. We encourage all New Yorkers to use the best prevention tools we have: get vaccinated, boosted and wear a mask. “

The Suffolk County case was identified by the Pandemic Response Lab on Thursday, according to the Hochul statement.

While all of these cases are unrelated to the recent Animated NYC convention at the Javits Center, the state continues to urge everyone who attended to get tested for COVID-19 and wear a mask in public places. A man from Minnesota who tested positive for the omicron variant attended the convention last month.

Hospitalizations, deaths continue to increase

Meanwhile, Long Island and the state continued to see virus-related deaths and hospitalizations increase.

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19-related illness increased by 91 to a total of 3,198 in New York City, state officials said on Saturday. This included 494 newly admitted patients.

Those in intensive care increased from 21 to 616, officials said.

A total of 42 people have died from illnesses linked to the virus, including two in Suffolk and one in Nassau, officials said.

“As we begin to add a layer of clothing to stay warm against the cold, getting your booster will give you an extra layer of protection against serious illness from COVID-19,” Hochul said.

Long Island has recorded 1,518 new cases, including 688 in Nassau and 830 in Suffolk, officials said.

The island’s average seven-day positive test percentage – which was 5.50% on Wednesday and 5.83% on Thursday – rose to 5.90% on Friday, according to state figures.

That percentage was as low as 2.08% on October 28.

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