Tennessee Guard reaches milestone in COVID-19 testing

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Soldiers and Airmen with the Tennessee National Guard, who are working diligently alongside Tennessee’s Department of Health, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, and various other state and local agencies have successfully administered over 300,000 COVID-19 tests since March.

The service members are conducting testing at Remote Assessment Sites spread throughout the state’s three grand divisions. Due to the recent opening of Remote Assessment Sites in Anderson County, the number of these sites in Tennessee has increased to 21.

Since the start of the pandemic, Tennessee Guard members have helped in other areas. Soldiers and Airmen have established temporary testing sites in focus areas, tested vulnerable populations at long-term care facilities, county and state corrections facilities, public housing, and many other locations across the state. Of the 300,000 Tennesseans the Tennessee National Guard has tested for COVID-19, they administered over 50,000 COVID-19 tests to the most vulnerable populations.

They also established an Infectious Disease Team that visits hospitals and alternative care centers to help develop plans and processes that prevent and decrease COVID-19 transmissions within the facilities. Currently, the Infectious Disease Team is still working with the alternate care site at Nashville General Hospital further developing safety protocols in the event that Nashville hospitals reach capacity and the alternate care site begins caring for patients.