Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort docked Monday in New York as it prepares to begin assisting the medical needs of the city's citizens due to the strain on the health care system from the coronavirus pandemic.
Why it matters: The ship's nearly 1,000 hospital beds — which will be used to house non-coronavirus patients — will help reduce severe shortages the state has been experiencing with more than 60,000 confirmed cases.
#NYPD Harbor and Aviation escort the @USNavy USNS Comfort as it enters New York Harbor. Docking at Manhattan's Pier 90, the ship will be helping #NYC and the Nation by providing much needed additional medical care. @NYPDnews #NationalDoctorsDay pic.twitter.com/nMgH3InUv4
— NYPD Special Ops (@NYPDSpecialops) March 30, 2020
Details: The Navy has deployed the Comfort to aid areas in the U.S. after previous disasters, including the September 11 attacks.
- It was also sent to the Gulf Coast in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina and Puerto Rico in 2017 following Hurricane Maria.
In photos
Go deeper: No part of the U.S. has enough hospital beds for a coronavirus crisis
