Today (April 4,2020) there was a mistake made in transporting COVID-19 patients to the USNS Comfort that is docked in New York. The Comfort is docked in New York to assist those in need of health care that are NOT infected with the coronavirus. According to the US Navy the amount of coronavirus cases that were brought on board is less than five. From the Pentagon the U.S. Navy released a statement saying:

“While admitting patients who were transferred to USNS Comfort for treatment, a few patients tested positive for COVID-19. The Comfort has infection control procedures that are followed just like hospitals ashore”

“Our medical experts aboard were well prepared for cases like this, and have taken the appropriate precautionary measures. The patients were isolated and received care aboard the ship while working to transfer the patients as soon as practical to the Javits Federal Medical Station, which is treating COVID-19 patients.”

“The Comfort is capable of continuing its mission.”

Around a dozen patients were transferred from the Javits Center to the Comfort on Friday, one day after President Trump approved New York Governor Cuomo’s request to have COVID-19 patients treated at the Javits Center. After the approval, all of the non COVID-19 patients were then transferred to the USNS Comfort that was docked just a short distance away.

The original plan for the USNS Comfort was to relieve the burden on hospitals by taking in only trauma patients (not COVID-19 patients), allowing the local hospitals to focus on the virus. However, now half of the people infected with the virus now show new symptoms according to latest reports.

The U.S. Navy is assessing the risk and the situation day to day, deciding whether it will treat COVID-19 patients or not in an attempt to alleviate the pressure that is mounting at the hospitals.