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<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><img width="624" height="147" style="width:6.5in;height:1.5312in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.png@01D8168F.391E2180" alt="Graphical user interface, text
Description automatically generated"></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">January 31, 2022<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-size:22.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Gov. Little activates National Guard for COVID response<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Boise, Idaho – Governor Brad Little activated the Idaho National Guard today for the fourth time during the pandemic to alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 in Idaho.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Governor Little activated 75 Idaho National Guardsmen to assist Primary Health and the Idaho Department of Correction, which are experiencing staffing shortages because too many employees
are absent from work due to COVID-19.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">In addition, Governor Little said he secured 503 additional personnel through a state contract to assist Idaho hospitals overwhelmed by COVID-19.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">“I am proud of our men and women of the Idaho National Guard who have stepped up time and again to help our state and communities get through an unprecedented, challenging time. The strain
on healthcare, schools, business, and government from the spread of COVID-19 is a reminder that we are not out of the pandemic, and we need to be vigilant about keeping ourselves and our loved ones healthy,” Governor Little said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Governor Little and the State of Idaho have directed the following resources to expand healthcare capacity during the public health crisis:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">By mobilizing the National Guard, deploying a military medical response team to North Idaho last year, and contracting with the federal government, hundreds
of additional personnel were added to assist hospitals and affected entities since the start of the pandemic.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">$1.8 million to expand the number of monoclonal antibody treatment facilities across the state to provide Idahoans life-saving medications and avoid a trip
to the hospital.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Cut red tape when temporary licensing fees were waived for retired or inactive nurses so they can activate their licenses and reenter the workforce more
easily. This step added more than 1,000 nurses and other health professionals.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Total $5.8 million to hospitals to help relieve staffing shortages.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Total $5.5 million for primary care and urgent care entities that serve an important role in keeping people from becoming so ill they need to seek medical
care at the hospital.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Total $8.5 million to preserve hospital capacity by increasing discharges from hospitals to skilled nursing facilities for COVID-19 positive patients.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">$30 million toward expanded COVID-19 testing in Idaho K-12 schools to minimize virus transmission.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"># # #</span></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Marissa Morrison Hyer, Press Secretary</span></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">208-943-1686 or </span></span><span style="color:black"><a href="mailto:marissa.morrison@gov.idaho.gov"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#0563C1;text-decoration:none">marissa.morrison@gov.idaho.gov</span></span></a></span><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">--</span></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span style="color:black"><a href="https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001jPcDrZTUF2iffZAaFR5CaCO9D9OTNmcIrS9m2JnRBQLxSmCCDvAfzkhQC6WRNcW4O6931CUyPvAzTSP21AiJ4rioUvabaHbWJxzuwF2hEYM%3D#_blank"><span class="normaltextrun"><i><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#0563C1;text-decoration:none">Sign
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