COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov. Mike DeWine announced on Tuesday that additional Ohio National Guard members have been deployed to support COVID-19 testing locations around Ohio.
“We are grateful that National Guard members are continuing to fill critical roles in our state's response to this pandemic, especially as the strain on our health care providers continues,” said DeWine. “As cases increase across the state, the best thing Ohioans can do is to stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccine.”
National Guard members are now supporting 12 testing locations as part of the efforts to help ease some of the burden on the state’s hardest-hit hospitals as Ohio is experiencing the highest number of COVID-19 driven inpatient hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and patients on ventilators seen throughout the pandemic.
“Our men and women are supporting about a dozen testing sites throughout Ohio, helping to provide additional opportunities for our fellow Ohioans to be tested for COVID-19. We have been fulfilling COVID-19 missions for more than 20 months, and we are committed to supporting our state during this time of need,” said Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., Ohio adjutant general.
According to the governor’s office, the testing locations are helping to divert traffic from hospital emergency rooms.
He cited the Walker Testing Center in Cleveland which has tested more than 22,000 people, averaging more than 1,100 daily, since it launched.
At this time, the Ohio National Guard has been deployed to support the following testing locations:
Open
- Akron: Atrium Testing Site (Summa Health), 1077 Gorge Blvd., Akron
- Canton: (Aultman/Cleveland Clinic Mercy), Stark County Fairgrounds, 305 Wertz Ave. NW, Canton
- Chillicothe: Adena Regional Medical Center, 272 Hospital Road, Chillicothe
- Cleveland: Walker Center (Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals), 10524 Euclid Ave., Cleveland
- Columbus: (Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center), first floor of the CAS parking garage at 2540 Olentangy River Road, Columbus
- Dayton: (Premier Health) Miami Valley Hospital, 1 Wyoming St., Dayton
- Mansfield: Avita Ontario Hospital, 715 Richland Mall, Mansfield
- Maumee: Lucas County Recreation Center, 2901 Key St., Maumee
- Zanesville: Genesis Hospital, 2951 Maple Ave., Zanesville
- Cincinnati: (Ethos Laboratories), Crossroads Church, 990 Reading Road, Mason
- Cincinnati: (Ethos Laboratories), Riverbend, 6201 Kellogg Ave.
- Cincinnati: University of Cincinnati, 321 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati
Coming Soon
- Dayton: Dayton Children’s Hospital, 1 Children’s Plaza, Dayton
According to the governor’s office, the total deployment of National Guard members working with Ohio’s healthcare systems is now at 2,300 members.
This includes approximately 200 Guard members offering medical support and approximately 2,100 offering general support, including testing, food services, in-hospital patient transportation, administrative tasks, and more.
“Ohio hospitals appreciate the continued support and service of the Ohio National Guard during this critical time of healthcare need related to COVID-19. The testing locations organized by the Guard and hospitals have been extremely important to provide this dedicated service to give better access to testing while alleviating demand of hospitals’ emergency departments. We will continue to assess daily the needs for testing and the best utilization of Guard support during this surge,” according to a statement from the Ohio Hospital Association.
DeWine said the Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Hospital Association are evaluating the situation daily at the state’s hospitals to ensure members are assisting in locations with the most need.