The USNS Comfort hospital ship arrived in the harbor of hard-hit New York City Monday morning.
The ship will treat non-coronavirus patients on board to try to lighten the burden on the city’s hospitals where doctors are focusing on combating the pandemic.
At least 776 people have died in New York City.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called the ship’s arrival a “major moment in this long battle.”
“Our nation has heard our plea for help,” he said. “There could not be a better example of all of America pulling for New York City than the arrival of the USNS Comfort.
The mayor called the ship a “big boost” in the city’s need to triple hospital bed capacity by May.
To all New Yorkers, the mayor said, “we are not alone. Our nation is helping us in our hour of need.”
As the death toll climbs in New York, the mayor warned, “the toughest weeks are still ahead.”
Another hospital ship, the USNS Mercy, has opened for business in the port of Los Angeles, where it’ll be treating non-coronavirus patients on board.
