A new field hospital, and a controversial one
An indoor training space at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens will be converted into a 350-bed medical facility. The facility will be for patients who do not COVID-19, at least for now. Louis Armstrong Stadium, the 14,000-seat venue at the tennis New York City News center, is also being converted into a meal-packing center. Each day, 125,000 meals will be packed in the space, a spokesperson for the center told the WSJ.
Meanwhile, in Manhattan, the field hospital set up in Central Park to help with overflow patients from Mount Sinai is creating controversy. The group behind the 68-bed center is Samaritan’s Purse, run by Evangelical Trump pal Franklin Graham. According to NBC New York, “The group asks health care workers and volunteers to adhere to a statement of faith, which opposes same-sex marriage.” Local officials, including City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, are raising concerns about the group. Johnson called it “extremely troubling that he and his organization are involved in our relief efforts in any way.”
On Tuesday, Mayor de Blasio told reporters that he was assured the Press Release Distribution Services In New York City organization will act in a way that is “truly consistent with the values and the laws of New York City.” Still, he said, his office is sending monitors to the facility.
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