KERN COUNTY, Calif. (KERO) — Kern County is seeing a surge in COVID cases and to help aid hospitals, a 14-member medical team from the National Guard will help with staffing and there are 27 strike team members from around California that are helping with staffing as well, according to the director of Kern Public Health.

Strike team members are from other California hospitals that are available to help.

According to Kern Public Health Director Brynn Carrigan during Tuesday's Kern County Board of Supervisors meeting, there are 323 patients with COVID in Kern County hospitals and 67 in the ICU.

ICU beds are currently at 10% capacity, according to Kern Public Health.

Kern County hospitals saw an increase in patients from Aug. 28th through Sept. 2nd with 271 patients increasing to 337. The number of ICU patients increased from 57 to 71 patients over the same time span.