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New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell announced on Thursday that two former nursing homes have been converted into COVID-19 recovery sites. The 270 beds will be for infected patients who are not exhibiting serious enough symptoms to be in the hospital.
“This comes as a great relief,” Mitchell said. “We were worried that a surge would hit [and] we’d have no ability to relieve the pressure on the hospital not only of COVID patients but patients who are otherwise being treated.”
The facilities will be managed by Essex Group, operator of two nursing homes in the region, while Southcoast Health will provide all necessary physicians and nurses.
Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan said these facilities, which are expected to open on April 14th, are “what [the city] needed.” The city has 91 confirmed coronavirus cases.
“It’s very important that the people on the frontlines are the ones to win this battle and my hat goes off to them.”
The Southcoast Health Group, made up of three hospitals in the region, have 815 beds. Southcoast Health President and CEO Keith Hovan said the hospital has plans to “effectively more than double” the ability to take care of intensive care patients as the pandemic intensifies. There have been 16 I.C.U. beds added to the St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford since the crisis began.
Massachusetts hospitals are expected to hit maximum capacity around April 20th.
