Ulster County officials fear they will run out of beds, ventilators by week's end
Ulster County officials say they will run out of beds and ventilators by week's end, with coronavirus cases there are doubling every few days.
News 12 Staff
•
Apr 7, 2020, 8:49 PM
•
Updated 1,614 days ago
Share:
Ulster County officials say they will run out of beds and ventilators by week's end, with coronavirus cases there are doubling every few days.
A total of 235 beds will be added at Health Alliance Hospital in Kingston. Officials say based on projections, by Monday, that still won't be enough.
Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan discussed those concerns in a Facebook town hall Tuesday, saying the county's COVID-19 cases are doubling every four to five days.
undefined
There's now more than 400 cases in Ulster County and only 58 beds left between the three hospitals in Kingston and Ellenville.
Among those beds, Ryan says there's one staffed ICU bed left and even with the extra beds they are bringing in, it won't be enough and that a field hospital will be built to provide additional relief.
"Unfortunately, that doesn't take us where we need to be, so my team and I have been scouting different sites. The site that made the most sense based on criteria is the Kate Walden Field House at Kingston High School," says Ryan.
County Executive Ryan says that field hospital will add 100 beds for non-critical care.