Coronavirus triage tents installed in Central Park as city's hospitals brace for more patients

insider@insider.com (Ellen Cranley)
·2 min read
central park coronavirus
central park coronavirus

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  • New York's Mount Sinai hospital system announced last week that it was planning to install temporary triage tents outside seven of its hospitals to anticipate huge numbers of patients in the novel coronavirus outbreak.

  • Workers began installing a 68-bed emergency hospital site in Manhattan's Central Park on Sunday.

  • The site is reportedly set to include a "respiratory care unit with ICU capability" and staff experienced in infectious diseases and is scheduled to be fully operational Tuesday morning.

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As New York's Mount Sinai hospital system braces for an overwhelming number of patients in the novel coronavirus pandemic, crews began constructing hospital tents on the west side of Central Park on Sunday.

The hospital system said in a statement last week that it was planning to install the temporary triage tents outside seven of its hospitals.

"As the growing COVID-19 crisis unfolds, we are taking extraordinary measures to protect and serve our communities," the statement said, adding that "the tents will be critical in helping us limit the spread of the disease between patients and staff."

Authorities were seen setting up some of the first tents in a downtown corner of Central Park near Manhattan's Columbus Circle, which are meant to assist Mount Sinai West on 59th Street.

central park coronavirus
People walking by Central Park as workers set up a field hospital in front of Mount Sinai West Hospital on Sunday in New York City.

KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images

NY1 reported that workers were setting up the 68-bed emergency hospital site with the North Carolina-based Christian organization Samaritan's Purse. The site is set to include a "respiratory care unit with ICU capability" and staff with experience in infectious disease, according to NY1.

The site is scheduled to be ready for patients Tuesday morning, the outlet reported.

New York City has become the US epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, with more than 59,000 cases and at least 965 deaths.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York on Sunday said he would extend the "PAUSE" program by more than two weeks. The order includes directives for "nonessential" businesses, employees, and gatherings.

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