NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced it will begin construction of alternate care facilities in the Hampton Roads, Richmond, and Northern Virginia areas.
The District has received three mission assignments from FEMA to assist the Virginia Department of Emergency Management to construct the alternate care sites.
District to begin construction on alternate care facilities in #Virginia. #USACE has received 3 mission assignments from @fema to assist @VDEM in constructing facilities in #NoVa, #HamptonRoads and #RVa regions. #COVID19 https://t.co/LNSfR6P6FD pic.twitter.com/oSTuTHnzgs
— Corps of Engineers (@norfolkdistrict) April 6, 2020
The District says they are working towards setting contracts in place to begin work on converting the Dulles Expo Center in Loudoun County, the Hampton Roads Convention Center, and the Richmond Convention Center.
The facilities will be converted into medical care space providing the needed hospital bed capacity.
Officials are now meeting with health care professionals and representatives to plan how best to convert the selected sites to meet their needs.
Conversions such having a reliable backup generation, water, sanitation, HVAC, and oxygen are needed to support the needs of a working hospital.
The buildings will be built out to provide stations for medical personnel, pharmacies, as well as admin spaces in addition to patient care areas.
Work on all the facilities is expected to begin within 48 to 72 hours of the contract awards and is expected to be completed within six weeks.
Governor Ralph Northam announced the alternate care sites at Friday's coronavirus briefing.
