Coronavirus News: USNS Comfort departs NYC
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- The hospital ship USNS Comfort departed New York City at noon Thursday after supporting the Department of Defense's COVID-19 response efforts to New York and New Jersey residents during the coronavirus pandemic.
The departure happened exactly one month after the navy hospital ship sailed into New York Harbor.
The Comfort has been providing relief to a healthcare system stressed by a surge of coronavirus cases.
USNS Comfort has been at Pier 90 in New York City, providing relief to a healthcare system stressed by the surge of COVID-19 patients.
Comfort was originally tasked with providing care to non-COVID patients, bringing the first aboard on April 1. It quickly became apparent that in order to be of help to the city, USNS Comfort needed to treat all patients, regardless of their COVID status.
On April 6, the ship began accepting COVID-positive patients. The hospital was physically separated from the rest of the ship by cordoning off doors and ladder wells on the main deck so the ship to admit and treat all patients.
Officials said 182 patients were treated over three and a half weeks. The final patient left on Sunday.
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