XtraTime Web Desk: As the novel coronavirus pandemic continues to spread, there is need for more space to keep the affected in isolation. More and more stadiums are being turned into temporary hospitals to combat the pandemic. The latest addition to that list is the US Open venue which will now get transformed into a temporary hospital with 350 beds. A portion of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is set to transform into a 350-bed temporary hospital on Tuesday, the USTA said, as the coronavirus outbreak strains resources in New York City, which has been dramatically affected by the pandemic.
The site of the U.S. Open and the crown jewel of American tennis, the venue has been thrust into the fray amid a medical crisis that has gripped the world and brought professional sports to a sudden and indefinite halt.
Meanwhile, at London the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has decided to give the parking space of Lords Cricket Ground for the medical staffs who are risking their lives to combat the pandemic.
The MCC has also decided to provide storage areas for the Wellington Hospital in the UK.”In light of the current situation regarding the outbreak of Covid-19, MCC has been in continuous dialogue with Westminster City Council as to how the Club can utilise elements of Lord’s Cricket Ground for the good of the community,” the MCC said in an official statement.
“MCC has currently provided 75 parking space at Lord’s for staff at Wellington Hospital, University College Hospital, and the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth. We are also providing storage areas for the Wellington Hospital – which is situated very close to the ground,” it added.
The United Kingdom has reported 22,444 cases and 1,411 deaths of to the coronavirus as per the data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.The World Health Organisation had termed coronavirus as a pandemic on March 11.