The National Guard has been deployed to El Paso to provide support with the morgue crisis

"JR, could you please get on your bike and ride to El Paso and investigate whether or not this body count pile up is true or not? I personally don't believe it but you're in the area."

Members of the Texas National Guard were mobilized to El Paso County, Texas, to help with the morgue crisis as the state battles a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths.

A team of 36 National Guard troops has been deployed to "provide mortuary affairs support," according to the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM).

The team was mobilized Saturday morning "after completing an assessment of the situation on the ground in El Paso County this week," TDEM spokesman Seth Christensen told CNN.

"As we've seen a rapid increase in cases and hospitalizations, we are unfortunately also seeing a spike in deaths. We have been working closely with funeral homes and mortuaries to assist with increased capacity and coordination of resources," El Paso Mayor Dee Margo said in a statement on Twitter.

"The Texas Military will provide us with the critical personnel to carry out our fatality management plan and we are very grateful to them for their ongoing support."