Local Rochester convention center chosen for temporary field hospital
Written by Site Hub on April 17, 2020
On Friday, April 10, Monroe County Executive Adam Bello announced that The Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center, which previously served as a Foodlink command, distribution and volunteer operations hub, had been chosen as the next site for an area COVID-19 field hospital. County and health officials have no plans to move patients into the facility yet. The change is merely preparation in anticipation of a potential surge of patients at local hospitals within an upcoming two-to-three-week time period. Bello and other officials want to be prepared for the “worst-case scenario.”
The center was chosen for a variety of reasons, but primarily because of its size, downtown East Main Street location, and on-site facilities, such as bathrooms and a kitchen. It was also chosen because of its close proximity to other useful sites like two nearby hotels that might be used to house healthcare workers.
Foodlink is currently in the process of relocating out the facility with 28 tractor trailers filled with supplies. With help from Acquest Realty, Genesee Brewery, Greater Rochester Enterprise, Lake Beverage, Teamsters Local 118, and Wegmans, Foodlink will be relocated quickly. It will continue its humanitarian and outreach efforts from a warehouse located at 2600 Manitou Road in Gates. Foodlink is expected to distribute approximately 20,000 boxes to the community from the site in the near future.
Once renovations to the convention center are complete, it can house between 800 and 1,000 COVID-19 patients.
https://13wham.com/news/local/could-convention-center-house-hospital-patients
