National Guard deployed to NJ veterans home that suffered 10 coronavirus deaths

The National Guard will be deployed to a New Jersey veterans home that has suffered at least 10 coronavirus deaths in the past two weeks.

The Army National Guard will head to the New Jersey Veterans Home in Paramus, where 23 residents have tested positive for the coronavirus, a New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs spokesman told NBC News Wednesday. Forty-seven residents are still awaiting their test results.

Forty medics from the Army National Guard will help with nursing duties with, spokesman Kryn Westhoven said. 

“Families of our residents at the homes should know we’re doing everything we possibly can to keep the residents safe,” he said.

The facility, which currently has 285 residents, is located in Bergen County, which has the most number of coronavirus cases and deaths in the state, with 8,343 positive tests and 345 deaths. 

The veterans home stopped taking in new residents on March 23. 

New Jersey ranks second to New York with the most coronavirus cases and deaths. A total of 51,027 people have tested positive for the virus, leading to 1,700 deaths. 

The National Guard will also send about 35 medics to a veterans home in Menlo Park, where at least four residents have died, NBC News reported.

“The Citizen-Soldiers will be invaluable to providing the best care for our veterans,” The Adjutant General and Commissioner of the department Brig. Gen. Jemal J. Beale said in a statement obtained by The Hill.

Updated 10:44 p.m.