Push underway for temporary hospitals
CASES SURGING American death toll from virus passes China’s
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK • The United States aims to build hundreds of temporary hospitals to ease pressure on a health-care system under siege from the coronavirus pandemic, with the U.S. death toll now topping 3,600 — surpassing the total in China, where the outbreak began.
In the face of such an onslaught, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is searching for hotels, dormitories, convention centres and large open spaces to build as many as 341 temporary hospitals, Lt.-Gen. Todd Semonite, the head of the corps, told the ABC News “Good Morning America” program.
U.S. officials have said the pandemic could lead to 100,000 to 200,000 deaths in the U.S.
Besides straining infrastructure, the pandemic is taking a toll on doctors, nurses and other health-care workers, who are overworked and lack the medical devices and protective gear needed.
“The duration itself is debilitating and exhausting and depressing,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told a news conference where he revealed that his brother, CNN news anchor Chris Cuomo, had tested positive for the virus.
“I’m speaking to healthcare professionals who say, ‘Look, more than physically tired, I’m just emotionally tired.’”
The corps, the engineering arm of the U.S. Army, already joined with New York state officials to convert New York City’s Jacob Javits Convention Center into a 1,000bed hospital.
Like many temporary hospitals, the centre will relieve the pressure by taking non-coronavirus patients.
Confirmed U.S. cases surged to nearly 180,000, with 16,000 new positive tests reported on Tuesday.
For a second day in a row, the U.S. recorded over 500 new deaths as the total climbed to nearly 3,600, according to a Reuters tally of officially reported data.
U.S. coronavirus-related deaths still trail those of Italy and Spain with more than 11,000 and 8,000 reported fatalities respectively. China has 3,305.
Worldwide, there are now more than 800,000 cases of the highly contagious illness caused by the virus and more than 39,000 deaths reported.
Besides the convention centre, New York has a new field hospital in Central Park and others are being built throughout the country.
New York remains the epicentre of the outbreak in the U.S. The state reported another 332 deaths on Tuesday, raising its total to 1,550, and another 9,298 new cases.
Meanwhile, Congress debated whether to consider another economic relief bill.
More than 30 states have ordered people to stay at home to contain the virus.
Reuters