Members of the Massachusetts National Guard help Newburyport authorities respond to a 2014 winter storm. Photo by Sgt. Steven C. Eaton | Army National Guard

Gov. Charlie Baker has activated 2,000 members of the Massachusetts National Guard to help add more resources to the state’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The soldiers will be used to support requests from state agencies for equipment, logistics, warehousing, and other related duties, the governor’s office said in a statement. Municipalities can also ask for Guard help through the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

“Activating the National Guard will help support our Administration’s efforts to keep residents safe and secure during the COVID-19 outbreak,” Baker said in a statement. “The expertise of the Massachusetts National Guard will benefit our communities with logistical support and other assistance as we continue to respond to this crisis.”

This is not the first time troops have been called out to help contain the coronavirus outbreak. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo earlier this month activated New York’s National Guard to deliver meals and perform other tasks in New Rochelle, New York, where a concentrated cluster of COVID-19 cases had developed. The Trump administration is also sending a U.S. Navy hospital ship, staffed by reservists, to New York City to add hospital capacity as the city’s healthcare system struggles under the weight of almost 2,500 cases.