3rd federal team to assist Minnesota hospitals with COVID-19

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A third federal medical team will arrive in Minnesota to support hospitals dealing with the high number of coronavirus patients, Gov. Tim Walz announced Thursday.

A team of 14 doctors, nurses, and hospital staff from the federal Department of Health and Human Services will support COVID-19 treatment and patient care at M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina.

The team will arrive on Friday and deploy for at least two weeks, with the option to extend, according to Walz’s statement.

The governor said he asked President Joe Biden for more help dealing with COVID-19 when Biden visited Minnesota earlier this week.

Two emergency staffing teams from HHS have already assisted Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis and St. Cloud Hospital.

The three federal teams are relieving doctors and nurses who have been treating a spike in hospitalized COVID-19 patients around the state.

“Even now, more than 19 months into our fight against COVID-19, we continue to be presented with new challenges and a need for new solutions,” said Laura Reed, Fairview Health Service’s chief operating officer. “A rise in COVID-19 cases, coupled with a significant need for acute care, has caused many hospitals across the country to reach capacity.”

On Wednesday, Minnesota hospitals reported 1,549 patients hospitalized for COVID-19, including 345 patients in intensive care units.