More Guard members deployed for virus than 2019 flood

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska has officially dispatched more National Guard members to respond to the coronavirus pandemic than it did during last year’s record-setting, statewide floods.

Gov. Pete Ricketts says 393 Nebraska National Guard soldiers and airmen have been working on the state’s pandemic response, more than the 329 that were mobilized to help with the historic 2019 floods.

The Guard has established six mobile testing teams that have worked in 29 different Nebraska cities, including the hard-hit areas of the state, where they’ve helped public health officials administer coronavirus tests.

Guard members have collected 11,162 coronavirus test samples so far, about 30% of the total gathered in Nebraska.