US Army Corps of Engineers to use dorms and hotels to put people back to work

They plan to convert dorms, hotels and perhaps other large spaces (school gyms, venues, etc) into temporary hospitals, thus putting those employees at those locations to work. This will enable the gov’t to have additional hospital space. Schools are out for a while, and in some cases cancelled for the rest of the school year, and hotels are also mostly empty. College dorms often have food facilities and the ability to quarantine off floors for different reasons, and can also house medical workers too.

  • The state has to nominate the facilities, then the Corps of Engineers goes in to modify the facility.
  • CE will cut a contract with the facility to put people back to work. For example the room will need negative pressure, i.e. air that might be contaminated with virus particles will not be pushed out (positive pressure) it will be pushed into the room (negative pressure).
  • All supplies for each room would be in the room.
  • Nurses stations would be in the halls.
  • FEMA will provide funding.

Video here.