Naval Hospital Ship To Begin Accepting COVID Patients

The Washington Post reports:

New York and New Jersey will finally receive a small amount of comfort for its crowded hospitals. On Monday night, hours after New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) thanked President Trump on Twitter for allowing covid-19 patients to be treated aboard USNS Comfort, New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) also announced the navy ship’s new purpose in the fight against the novel coronavirus.

“This will provide much-needed relief to our overstressed hospital systems,” Cuomo said in a tweet. Trump confirmed the move at Monday’s coronavirus task force briefing, noting that “hopefully that will be very helpful to both states.” The naval hospital ship will provide 1,000 additional beds staffed by federal medical personnel, but its approval to treat patients of the contagious virus came a week after USNS Comfort had already docked in New York Harbor.