New York City's 'big boost': USNS Comfort's arrival drew crowds, photos show

Jay Cannon | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Mayor: Arrival of naval ship gives 'hope' to NYC A Navy hospital ship has arrived in New York City to help relieve the coronavirus crisis gripping the city's hospitals. Mayor Bill de Blasio said the arrival of the USNS Comfort will "save the lives of New Yorkers in our hour of need." (March 30)

The USNS Comfort, a Navy hospital ship equipped with 1,000 beds and 12 operating rooms, arrived in New York City Monday as it hopes to ease the strain on area hospitals reeling from the coronavirus pandemic.

The intention is that the ship will host non-coronavirus-related patients, freeing up resources at medical centers dealing with the outbreak.

New York City rapidly emerged as the U.S. epicenter for the virus. As of Tuesday morning, the coronavirus death toll in the city was marked at 914, which represents more than a quarter of the U.S. death count of 3,170, per the Johns Hopkins coronavirus database.

As a result, medical centers around the area are in dire need of more beds. The USNS Comfort should help with that. President Donald Trump said Saturday that beds "will be opened up all over the city," thanks to the assistance provided by the ship.

“The number of beds we had in the beginning of March has to triple by May,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday. “It’s a daunting task, but we got a big, big boost."

De Blasio said Tuesday on NBC's Today that he expects all hospital beds in the city, an estimated 20,000, will soon be needed for coronavirus patients requiring intensive care.

"We require a level of hospital capacity that we've never seen, we've never even conceived of," the mayor said.

In the interview, de Blasio also criticized the crowds of people who watched as the ship arrived, calling the lack of social distancing "unacceptable." He said that the NYPD has been authorized to give out fines of up to $500 for people not practicing social distancing.

No social distancing as crowd clusters for a shot of #USNSComfort #nbc4ny pic.twitter.com/MlYfX7eHue — Andrew Siff (@andrewsiff4NY) March 30, 2020

In addition to the hundreds of hospital beds and one dozen operating rooms, the ship is complete with a pharmacy, an optometry lab, radiology, CAT-scan equipment, two oxygen-producing plants and a helicopter deck.

The ship could start taking patients as early as Tuesday.

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