National Guard Deployed To Illinois To Assist With Medical Needs

ILLINOIS — Gov. J.B. Prizker has activated 60 National Guard service members in an effort to assist the state with anticipated needs in both logistical support and medical staffing amid the coronavirus outbreak.

According to the Illinois State National Guard website, 43 of the 60 service members are coming from a medical group.

"These include 43 airmen from the Peoria-based 182nd Airlift Wing's Medical Group and 17 planners and liaison officers from both Army National Guard and Air National Guard units from across the state, including medical planners," the site stated.

The service members were assigned duties Monday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

"The governor in his press conference has talked about setting up triage outside of hospitals, basically screening patients before they enter the hospital doors," Lt. Col. Brad Leighton of the Illinois National Guard told WGN.

Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh told the Chicago Sun-Times that "the situation is being monitored on an ongoing basis" in regard to whether the Illinois National Guard might be called to assist the state in more-extensive terms.

As of Tuesday, there were 160 total COVID-19 cases in the state, including 22 at a Willowbrook nursing home.

Illinois also had its first COVID- 19 death, a Chicago woman in her 60s with an underlying medical condition. Patricia Frierson died Monday night at the University of Chicago Medical Center, according to WGN9. She was a retired nurse who suffered from asthma.