Warren Urges Trump to Direct Army Corps to Build Temporary Medical Facilities to Fight Coronavirus
Thursday, March 19, 2020
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is calling on President Donald Trump to mobilize army corps nationwide to increase capacity during the outbreak of the coronavirus.
Warren sent a letter to Trump calling on him to direct the Army Corps of Engineers to convert or build temporary medical facilities across the country.
"Given the reality of the exponential growth of the virus, supplemental infrastructure must be designated and ready to receive patients immediately," wrote Warren.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTWarren’s Letter
The letter comes amid fears that hospitals will be overwhelmed by an influx of confirmed or presumed positive cases of COVID-19, and follows a recent announcement that President Trump has agreed to use the Army Corps and Federal Emergency Management Agency to construct temporary hospital facilities in New York state.
According to Warren, Trump can direct the Secretary of Defense to use the Army Corps to retrofit and equip existing facilities, such as military bases and college dormitories, and construct new facilities to serve as temporary medical centers to support the federal response to national emergencies, including the COVID-19 public health emergency.
"The Army Corps is in position to help address this public health emergency by converting existing space into temporary medical centers. Taking this action will save lives,” said Warren.
In the letter, Warren urged Trump to exercise this authority.
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