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The
pandemic has upended life in much of the United States,
shuttering schools and businesses, prompting millions to work
from home, forcing many out of jobs and sharply curtailing
travel.
Lieutenant General Todd Semonite told reporters at the Pentagon
that the Army Corps was looking at converting the rooms and
other large spaces into intensive care unit-type facilities and
it would need to happen within weeks, not months.
"We're talking about over 10,000 that we are looking at right
now," Semonite said, adding that a decision would be made by the
Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Earlier this week, the White House said it was in talks with the
Pentagon about how the military can be deployed to deal with the
coronavirus, including setting up field hospitals in states with
a surge in cases.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has called for the Army Corps to
increase hospital capacity. The Army Corps of Engineers is made
up of 37,000 soldiers and civilians providing engineering
services in more than 130 countries, its website says.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Editing by Leslie
Adler and Howard Goller)
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