New Haven Coronavirus Update: Mayor Pushes Medical Corps

Information via City of New Haven

NEW HAVEN, CT – Today New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker and New Haven Health Director Maritza Bond urged residents to help out in the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic by signing up for the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). The New Haven MRC is open to medical and non-medical volunteers 18 years of age and older.

Mayor Justin Elicker released the following statement:

We are facing many challenges in our response to COVID-19. There is a shortage of protective equipment for our first responders, like N95 masks, and people have been donating supplies; however, we need people to step up and help us on the ground. We need volunteers, doctors, nurses, and medical professionals to help out with our COVID-19 response by signing up with the Medical Reserve Corps.

Whether you are retired, active in your profession, a community member, or a student, we need your assistance in the New Haven MRC. There is a growing need for volunteers with medical experience and a role each of you can serve. Volunteers receive free training and then are asked to be available on an as-needed basis. You could be asked to volunteer on weekends, late at night, or first thing in the morning. New Haven volunteers may be deployed to a shelter or a public health site.

Once trained, New Haven MRC volunteers would assist in the following tasks:

• Provide medical screening and support in mass care settings,
• Assist with patient tracking at planned events,
• Support medical countermeasures (MCM) distribution and dispensing activities,
• Assist with planned and unplanned public health activities.

Health Director Maritza Bond added, “By signing up to be a New Haven MRC volunteer, applicants will gain valuable emergency preparedness knowledge and experience through training, exercises, and real-world events. You will train and work alongside government agencies, federal partners, non-governmental agencies, and community partners. New Haven, we need your help.”