Pentagon to deploy up to 5 COVID-19 medical assistance teams in U.S.

Aug. 17 (UPI) -- The Pentagon is preparing to send up to five medical assistance teams to combat COVID-19 inside the United States.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters Tuesday the teams will include about 20 medical personnel, including doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists.

The first medical assistance team will be deployed to Lafayette, Louisiana, a state which has the highest recent COVID-19 death rate and one of the lowest recent vaccination rates nationwide, The New York Times database shows.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state of Louisiana requested the response amid the recent COVID-19 surge.

"We expect that there could be additional requests from other states for other teams," Kirby said. "And so that's why we're being prepared to stand up five teams."

Along with Louisiana, other southern states -- including Florida, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas -- have ranked among the five highest rates of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations per 100,000 people across the country in the last seven days, according to the Times database.

Also, within the last seven days, along with Louisiana, Arkansas, Florida and Mississippi have ranked among the five highest COVID-19 death rates nationwide.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said earlier this month the U.S. military is planning to mandate COVID-19 for all troops by mid-September.

In March, the Pentagon authorized more personnel for U.S. vaccinations in support of FEMA, which serves state-run vaccination programs for military an civilian populations. The prior month, in February, the U.S. Army deployed 222 soldiers from Fort Carson, Colo. to Los Angeles to support a state-run, federally supported COVID-19 vaccination center there.