The tennis courts that host the U.S. Open are being turned into a field hospital for coronavirus patients as New York City officials ramp up medical staff, supplies and facilities for an anticipated wave of COVID-19 patients in April and May, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Tuesday.
The tennis center is one of a handful of makeshift field hospitals the city is building to house coronavirus patients. De Blasio said the city is working with the federal government, the hotel industry and various other businesses to turn other buildings into potential medical facilities, CNBC reported.
Over the weekend, Samaritan’s Purse and Mount Sinai Health System in New York City began erecting a field hospital in Central Park. The hospital is located in front of Mount Sinai Hospital in the park’s East Meadow and is scheduled to open on Tuesday, a spokesperson said.
According to CNBC, De Blasio said it will take three weeks to fully build the hospital at the tennis center; patients will be transferred from Elmhurst Hospital starting next week.
Officials said they hope the city will be able to host the annual tennis tournament, which is one of four Grand Slams throughout the year.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said earlier in the day that coronavirus cases spiked 14% overnight in the state, up to 75,795 people. More than half of the state’s cases are in New York City.
