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USNS Comfort Escorted Into New York to Ease Burden on Overrun Hospitals

The US Naval Ship Comfort, a hospital ship, was escorted on the morning of March 30 into New York City, where it will help relieve pressure on city hospitals by taking in patients without the novel coronavirus.

In a statement, the US Navy said, “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.”

The Comfort departed Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia on March 29 with more than 1,100 Navy medical personnel and support staff and 70 civil service mariners, the navy said.

New York Gov Andrew Cuomo said on March 30, “The Comfort brings 1,000 much-needed hospital beds … to New York. I’ll be in NYC to receive a briefing upon its arrival.”

New York City had confirmed 776 deaths from COVID-19 by March 30. Credit: Department of Defense via Storyful