Advertisement

Onlookers Clap as Navy Hospital Ship 'Comfort' Escorted Into New York Port During COVID-19 Pandemic

A group of socially distanced onlookers applauded the US Naval Ship Comfort, a hospital ship, as it was escorted into New York City on the Hudson River on March 30.

The ship will house patients without COVID-19 to ease the burden on local hospitals.

The US Navy said in a statement, “the ship will serve as a referral hospital for patients not infected with COVID-19, providing a full spectrum of medical care to include general surgeries, critical care and ward care for adults, while allowing shore-based civilian hospitals to focus on their medical care devoted to the treatment of COVID-19 patients.”

Christina Hansen recorded this video and originally posted it to Twitter. Hansen told Storyful the crowd on Pier 84 were doing their best to keep social distance while waiting for the ship to arrive.

There were 66,497 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the state of New York on March 31, according to health officials.

New York City had confirmed 38,087 cases, and 914 deaths from COVID-19 by March 31. Credit: Christina Hansen via Storyful