Coronavirus: New York to receive 1,000 bed hospital ship, governor says
“It’s literally a floating hospital,” Mr Cuomo says
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The USNS Comfort hospital ship, which has 1,000 beds on board, is sailing to New York harbour to help the state treat Covid-19 patients.
New York governor Andrew Cuomo announced the news at his daily press conference on Wednesday, saying it would go some way to addressing the lack of hospital beds available for coronavirus cases.
“It’s literally a floating hospital,” Mr Cuomo said, calling it an "extraordinary step".
Besides the 1,000 hospital beds, the ship also includes 12 fully-equipped operating rooms, a pharmacy, medical laboratory, and helicopter decks for transport.
The move comes as many cities and states across the US have raised concerns about the impact of the coronavirus on healthcare facilities. Mr Cuomo said New York anticipates it will need another 50,000 hospital beds in order to properly treat those who will become infected.
The governor is also working with the federal government to create mobile hospitals across the state, he said. The Army Corps of Engineers is expected to build field hospitals in select locations.
New York state currently has 53,000 hospital beds and 3,000 ICU beds. The number of coronavirus cases in New York is anticipated to peak in 45 days, at which point an estimated 55,000 to 110,000 patients could be hospitalised and 18,600 to 37,200 could need an ICU bed in the state alone, according to experts.
There is also an issue with the number of ventilators currently available across the state. New York has 3,000 ventilators at the moment, but it will require an estimated 37,000 to meet demand.
Coronavirus cases rose in the US to over 7,000 confirmed and 117 dead, as of Wednesday morning.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments