New York’s Central Park Transforms Into Field Hospital to Meet Coronavirus Demands

New York City’s Central Park is being transformed into a field hospital in order to meet the demand of extra hospital beds during the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Mt. Sini Hospital, it is partnering with Samaritan’ Purse and other government agencies and will be in the East Meadow so doctors could “provide care for patients seriously ill with COVID-19.” The facility will have 68 beds.

“The group is sending dozens of disaster relief specialists, including doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel to the city.  It was unclear when patients would be brought to the facility,” reported Fox5NY.

FIELD HOSPITALS: Tents are up in New York's Central Park as the city converts part of the park into a field hospital to help fight the coronavirus. The 68-bed emergency hospital in the upper east side is designed as a respiratory care unit #8NN https://t.co/sBBvBsg7c6

— 8 News Now (@8NewsNow) March 31, 2020

The team of doctors will be led by Dr. Elliott Tenpenny. “This is honestly the most improbable place we’re ever been,” he said. “I never would have guessed we’d come to New York City with something like this. But New York never thought it would be dealing with a pandemic, either.”

The New York Post reported that 20 volunteers from New York helped 50 Samaritan’s Purse employees set up the first of what will be 14 tents covering 50,000 square feet of the park’s East Meadow. By mid-afternoon, three had been constructed.

New York City is still the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. As of late Sunday, there have been 776 deaths in the city.