December 2021 — M2CC Newsletter

WWW.M2CC.US Monthly Newsletter | 15
lifeline" to get assistance from
the Defense Department, which
has more than 60 nurses, doctors
and respiratory therapists
assigned to the state.
"It allowed us to be able to care
for the COVID patients and at
the same time still maintain the
level of care that cancer patients
require or people with chronic
illnesses," Marciano said.
"Where we are today is really
just keeping our heads above
water."
New York's mask order covers
all indoor public places unless a
business or venue has a vaccine
requirement. The state reported
more than 68,000 positive tests
for the virus in a seven-day period
that ended Wednesday, the most
for any seven-day stretch since
February.
New York City and several
upstate New York counties
already have mask mandates.
Critics, however, said the
governor's announcement was
another burden for businesses.
"Government overreach at
its worst," said Republican
Assemblyman Mike Lawler.
Oklahoma Guard Leader Tells
Vaccine Refusers to Prepare for
'Career Ending Federal Action'
The leadership of the
Oklahoma National Guardhas
acknowledged that its fight with
the federal government over the
COVID-19 vaccine mandate
ultimately may lead to "career
ending federal action" for troops.
Brig. Gen. Thomas Mancino, the
top officer for Oklahoma's Guard,
released a statement Thursday
that opened with a forceful
defense of service members
under his charge exercising
their "personal responsibility"
and "the right to not take the
vaccine."
However, the message quickly
pivoted as Mancino began to
note that his and Republican
Gov. Kevin Stitt's authority is
limited.
"Anyone exercising their
personal responsibility and
deciding not to take the vaccine
must realize that the potential
for career ending federal action,
baring [sic] a favorable court
ruling, legislative intervention,
or a change in policy is present,"
Mancino wrote in the statement.
State National Guard formations
are unique in the military in that
Michigan is sending more
ventilators to hospitals and
asking for even more from the
national stockpile. Infection
rates and hospitalizations are at
record levels, 21 months into the
pandemic. The first case of the
omicron variant was confirmed
Thursday in the Grand Rapids
area
The largest hospital system
in Indiana enlisted National
Guard for support this week
at a time when the number of
COVID-19 patients in the state
has more than doubled in the past
month. The state's COVID-19
hospitalizations are now higher
than Indiana's summer surge that
peaked in September and are
approaching the pandemic peak
reached in late 2020.