Army North deploys teams to Ala., La.

U.S. Army North has sent more medical teams to hospitals stressed by COVID-19 caseloads in Louisiana and Alabama in the wake of nearby hurricane damage and evacuations.

The command said it deployed 20 personnel to Dothan, Ala., and another 20 to Alexandria, La., last week to support civilian health care workers. They’ll join other teams now working in four hospitals, two in Louisiana and two in Mississippi. Army North runs the active-duty military’s COVID-19 response in support of federal and state efforts.

“This is the first time Department of Defense medical assets have deployed to support Alabama during the pandemic,” said Lt. Gen. Laura J. Richardson, Army North’s commander.

The mission had helped hospitals across the United States in the first year of the pandemic, but had ended this year after converting to vaccination clinic support. It started up again in mid-August.

Alabama’s coronavirus positivity rate has skyrocketed from 5.3 percent in early July to 32.8 percent as of last week, according to a chart maintained by the Mayo Clinic . The rate for Louisiana sat at 5.4 percent in early July but topped 31.2 percent in mid-August. It had fallen to 23.1 percent as the week began.

The military medical personnel headed to Alabama and Louisiana include nurses, respiratory therapists and doctors. A 20-member Air Force team will support Southeast Health in Dothan, while another team from the Air Force will support Rapides Regional Medical Center in Alexandria.