NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — The Ritz Carlton it is not.
The cavernous Javits Center has been transformed into a 1,000-bed hospital in a bid to nearly triple current hospital capacity in New York as the state battles a rising surge in coronavirus cases.
WCBS 880's Peter Haskell had a chance Friday to tour the facility.
He reports the new temporary rooms are more like cubicles. They're small and spartan. They feature three temporary walls with a curtain in front and the bed is more like a beach lounge chair. There's also a folding chair, lamp, humidifier and table with a small plant.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants to build four more facilities, one in every borough.
The goal is to increase capacity to 140,000 beds.
Cuomo is looking at college dorms, hotels and nursing homes as other possible locations.
Meanwhile, the Navy hospital ship, USNS Comfort, is expected to arrive in New York Harbor on Monday. The ship features 1,000 rooms and will help take some of the pressure off hospitals by caring for non-coronavirus patients.