Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham that she might ask the National Guard to help out amid the staffing shortages in New Mexico schools – a move that could be the first of its kind in this nation.
"With a Level I trauma, you've got to stabilize personnel resources there," Lujan Grisham said, according to KRQE.
She mentioned that this additional help would help ensure that students remain in classrooms. She also mentioned that she has been in conversation with the Santa Fe school district, which was forced to resort to remote learning.
Earlier in the month, Pres. Joe Biden announced the National Guard would be deployed in order to address hospital shortages, and Grisham confirmed that some guardsmen would be deployed in New Mexico. The National Guard has already helped out in various ways amid the pandemic, including driving school buses.
Hospital officials stated many patients seeking care had issues unrelated to COVID-19, KRQE reported. However, due to government-mandated pandemic protocol, many hospitals are short-staffed and unable to address the patients' needs.