UPDATED: Dec. 29, 2:16 p.m.
The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Health announced the strike teams will be deployed to York- and Scranton-based hospitals, starting Jan. 3.
The number of individuals on each team is still being decided. They will remain onsite for 30 days.
Original story follows:
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Federal support could be coming to Pennsylvania hospitals battling the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, but it is unclear where exactly that help is going.
“Strike teams” will be deployed to various health care systems by the federal government, but a lot is still unknown about which hospitals will get the aid.
Health and federal officials are still working to finalize some plans, like confirming the exact locations, according to a Pennsylvania Department of Health spokesperson.
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The federal government will be deciding where these strike teams go. The teams are intended to help with staff support and bring more resources to rural areas.
All of this comes after Gov. Tom Wolf sent out a request to FEMA earlier this month.
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In a statement, the governor said they could use help with staffing, rapid test access and more monoclonal antibodies.
It’s unclear which Philadelphia hospitals, if any, could be getting assistance. As of Tuesday, state data shows the 14-day average of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the city is more than 428 people — the highest that number has been in weeks. Of more than 670 ICU beds in the city, about 125 are available.
A spokesperson with Penn Medicine also said about 80% of their patients hospitalized with COVID-19 have not been vaccinated.