Not only will Indiana National Guardsmen remain in long-term care facilities through the end of February, but they’ll also be allowed to administer COVID-19 vaccines. The deployment was set to expire at the end of the month, but on Tuesday, Governor Holcomb announced an extension.
“They’ve been a Godsend, quite frankly,” Holcomb said, “and we hear from these long-term care centers, saying, ‘We don’t want you to leave,’ and ‘We’re really kind of hitting our groove right now, and it’s good teamwork.’”
The governor also signed an executive order Tuesday allowing for some additional flexibility when it comes to health care during the pandemic. Members of the National Guard, along with certain paramedics and EMTs will be allowed to administer COVID-19 vaccines, if they have the proper training. Medical assistants are also allowed to give the shot under supervision.
Meanwhile, a previous order allowing for temporary licensing for health care workers has been extended. “This applies to retired health care professionals, health care students, even some out-of-state health care professionals, to be able to continue to help,” Holcomb explained. “So the executive order will be extended by 90 days.”
The order also aims to make it easier for the Development of Workforce Development to hire temporary staff to deal with unemployment claims by suspending certain requirements in Indiana Code.
