The front doors of the TCF Regional Health Care Center were barricaded Friday on the first day that coronavirus patients were admitted to the Detroit field hospital.

The signs were clear — "No Visitation No Entry" — as a lone Michigan State Police trooper in his vehicle stood guard at the front of the convention center, which was transformed in the last 11 days into a 1,000-bed field hospital, built to help ease the surge of coronavirus patients filling southeast Michigan hospitals.

Only hospitals will be able to transfer patients to the facility. There will be no walk-ins allowed.

In the back of TCF, however, at least a half-dozen ambulances left the building in a half-hour stretch Friday afternoon, setting up the staging area for when COVID-19 patients begin getting dropped off at the field hospital.

The hospital was supposed to begin accepting up to 25 patients Friday, but none were transferred from hospitals in the region on Friday. TCF is set up to admit at least 25 patients on Saturday, ramping up to 250 by the end of next week. These are patients who still need hospitalization, but don't need the intensive care that includes a ventilator.

More:CEO for TCF field hospital: Here's what patients should expect when they arrive Friday

More:As coronavirus cases rise, here are the challenges Michigan faces in setting up field hospitals

Hospitals throughout the region will be transferring patients to TCF after they have been in the hospital for at least 48 hours and it's determined that they have been cleared to go to a less intense health care setting.

The transfers will be done in consultation with medical staff at the state's Emergency Operations Center and doctors at TCF. But the patients also have a choice of whether they want to go to TCF or stay in the hospital.

There will be no visitors allowed and no media access while patients are at TCF. They will be tended to by a variety of military medical personnel at first while the state recruits and builds a health care staff from thousands of people who are expected to apply for the jobs at TCF. There will be people coming out of retirement, staff from other parts of the state and from out of state.

"We’ve had a great response," said Lynn Torossian, CEO of the field hospital. "We need volunteers and health care professionals who we know that we can count on for a period of time."

In the state's online employment site for the field hospitals, applicants are told a commitment of 13 weeks is needed.

Benefits include nearby housing in area hotels and meals while they're working.

"We're really looking forward to bringing all those people on-site," Torossian said.

Another convention center — the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi — is in the process of being converted into a second state field hospital that will add another 1,000 beds. It is expected to open in about two weeks.

How to work, volunteer at field hospitals

For those looking to apply for work at one of the alternate care facilities, there are two options:

Those looking to volunteer for shorter periods of time can go to: http://www.michigan.gov/fightcovid19

Health care professionals looking for longer-term, paid positions can go to: https://form.jotform.com/200947011547047

Contact Kathleen Gray: 313-223-4430, kgray99@freepress.com or on Twitter @michpoligal.