Fresno County announced Friday that it will install an alternate care site at the Fresno Convention Center in the upcoming days.
The state approved the 250-bed care site for the county to help alleviate the strain on local hospitals with their response to the coronavirus pandemic.
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The approval comes after state officials sent the County of Fresno scrambling to find an alternative site to stage equipment and beds.
Officials with the State Office of Emergency Services rejected Fresno County’s decade-long pick for the triage center: the Fresno Fairgrounds.
Hospitals that are impacted by coronavirus will refer low-acuity non-COVID-19 patients to the site.
“We welcome this valuable resource that will help hospitals provide necessary care to COVID-19 patients here in Fresno and throughout our Central Valley region should the need arise,” said Fresno County Supervisor and Board Chairman, Buddy Mendes, in a press release.
“As this pandemic continues to evolve, we must ensure we have the capacity in place to treat those in need and ease the demands on our emergency systems and hospitals so that they can most effectively treat the most severe cases.”
The county said the site will include beds, medical equipment and personal protective equipment for staff and patients. Local healthcare professionals will serve the site.
Fresno County is working to assess the needs of the 7-county Central Valley region and determine how to most effectively allocate the resources of the site.
As of Thursday, Fresno County has 94 cases of coronavirus.
