Coronavirus Update: Cathedral Church Of St. John The Divine Reportedly Becoming Temporary Field Hospital
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - The Cathedral of St. John the Divine will become a temporary hospital amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to published reports.
It's one of the largest cathedrals in the world.
The New York Times reports that the field hospital will occupy the church's 600-foot nave and equally large crypt below.
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The cathedral is located near Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital and will be staffed by medical personnel from the hospital, the Times reports. Volunteers with Samaritan's Purse - the same organization that set up a field hospital in Central Park - will also be involved.
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"Now, amid the coronavirus pandemic and an overwhelmed health care system, the Cathedral has offered the use of its grounds and the Cathedral building itself to help serve our neighbors' most pressing needs. The Church stepped up to meet health care needs in the City of New York in the past, and we pledge to continue to step up in the present crisis," the Rt. Rev. Clifton Daniel III wrote in a blog post on the church's website.
It wasn't immediately clear whether the church would be accepting COVID-19 patients, though that decision was expected soon, the Episcopal News Service reported.
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