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Photos show the National Guard converting New York City's Javits Center into a disaster hospital for coronavirus patients
In an effort to create more space for the increasing number of coronavirus patients, the Jacob K. Javits Center in Manhattan is being converted into a makeshift hospital.
As one of the nation's biggest venues, the convention center is usually used for events like comic cons, auto shows, and large conferences.
Source: Bloomberg
But on Saturday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the main showroom of the center will be broken up into four 250-bed hospitals, each about 40,000 square feet in size.
That will account for 1,000 beds. The state is also hoping to add an additional 1,000 beds for less intensive medical care, Cuomo said.
"This was never an intended use, but you do what you have to do. That's the New York way. That's the American way," Cuomo said when he visited the center on Monday.
"You're going to see an over-capacity of our health system. Right now, we're projecting you'll see more people into the health care system than we can handle," Cuomo said according to CBS News.
Meanwhile, the New York National Guard, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Javits employees are setting up the hospital. It is expected to start operating in a week to 10 days.
They have already started bringing in different medical equipment...
...ranging from hospital beds...
...to ventilators, a crucial device used to help the worst-hit coronavirus patients breathe even after the infection has ravaged their lungs.
There will be 320 Federal Emergency Management Agency workers assigned to the four hospitals in the center.
Source: CBS News
New York is expecting a surge of more cases that could require up 110,000 beds. Currently, it only has 53,000 beds.
Source: Bloomberg
With over 20,000 confirmed cases, New York accounts for nearly 6% of the world's coronavirus cases.
Source: Business Insider
This is not the only makeshift hospital that is being built. Westchester County Center in White Plains as well as the closed campuses of SUNY Stony Brook and SUNY Old Westbury will also have makeshift hospitals in the next few days.
Source: Bloomberg
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