Governor Cuomo Announces Completion of First 1,000-Bed Temporary Hospital

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the first 1,000-bed temporary hospital is now complete at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. This temporary hospital site is part of the Governor’s goal of having a 1,000-plus patient overflow facility in each NYC borough as well as Westchester, Rockland, Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Governor Cuomo also announced the state and Army Corp of Engineers have toured and identified four new sites for temporary hospitals for construction by the Army Corps of Engineers – the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, the Aqueduct Racetrack facility in Queens, CUNY Staten Island and the New York Expo Center in the Bronx – adding an additional 4,000 beds to the state’s capacity. The Governor is asking President Trump to approve these sites immediately so construction can begin.

These new temporary hospital sites — together with the site at the JavitsCenter and the temporary hospitals that are being built at locations at SUNYStony Brook, SUNY Old Westbury and the Westchester Convention Center — are part of the Governor’s plan to create thousands of new beds to bolster existing hospital capacity, with the goal of being open to patients in early- to mid-April. The state is also preparing college dormitories and hotels across the downstate region, and identifying nursing homes and other facilities to serve as a place for emergency beds. 

Governor Cuomo also announced that all schools in New York State must remain closed for an additional two weeks until April 15th to ensure consistency and uniformity across the state in instructional time for this extraordinary school year. Schools will be required to continue child care, meal and distance learning programs, and the state will extend the 180-day waiver to April 15th.

In addition, the governor announced that for a 90 day period, consumers experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19 may defer paying life insurance premiums. No late fees will be assessed and no negative data will be reported to credit bureaus during this time, and late payments will be payable over a one-year period. LICONY, or the Life Insurance Council of New York, which represents over 80 percent of the life insurance industry, has agreed to these measures.