US Navy hospital ships being deployed to New York, Los Angeles to assist patients

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Navy is deploying two hospital ships to support the nation's COVID-19 response, the Department of Defense posted on Wednesday, March 25.

The USNS Mercy is headed to Los Angeles and the USNS Comfort is expected to deploy to New York in April. The ships will serve as referral hospitals for non-coronavirus patients who are currently admitted to "shore-based" hospitals.

Both ships are nearly 900 feet long and can staff up to 1,200 medical personnel, maintain up to 5,000 units of blood and has the capabilities of a modern hospital onshore. The ships have an isolation ward, 80 intensive care beds and 1,000 patient beds among other services.

The Comfort is based on Norfolk, Virginia when not deployed, the Mercy is based in San Diego. The ships will also hold 71 civil service mariners. For more information, CLICK HERE.