The health secretary called the search for supplies "the world's largest scavenger hunt."
Obviously, in the great effort to make sure Maryland is completely prepared for the worst-case scenario, Maryland Health Secretary Robert R. Neall is thinking outside the box.
In a teleconference call with the University System of Maryland Board of Regents earlier this week, Neall stated that he has leased two ice skating rinks that could be used as morgues if the death toll exceeds the capacity of current morgues in the state.
"It's something we are exploring," Mike Ricci, communications director for Governor Larry Hogan, stated in an email to The Hill. "Hospitals can only hold the deceased for so long, and we want to be able to provide support for local resources."
He added that no leases have yet been finalized, but that doing so is only a "precautionary measure" that would be "consistent with CDC guidelines for preparedness."
This wouldn't be the first time ice rinks would be used as morgues. Back in March, Spain turned to using a skating rink when it found itself scrambling for space in the wake of 2,700 deaths at that point.
“Our goal is not to be on television looking like New York,” Neall said to the regents, referring to reports that bodies of the deceased were being transported to refrigerated trucks via forklift, within view of passersby. “I hope we’ll be able to get all the stuff that we need organized in a way so that we can get through this with minimal casualties and our dignity intact.”
Maryland officials are working overtime to make sure they have everything they need to treat patients, especially since as of March 30, they had only received roughly one-third of the supplies it requested from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). They also didn't receive any of the 100,000 swabs for COVID-19 testing or the 15,000 body bags they had asked for.
“Masks, gowns, ventilators … All in very short supply,” Neall said. “This is the world’s largest scavenger hunt.”
In addition, local universities are being called upon to provide housing for medical workers, as well as staging areas and supplies storage, while the Baltimore Convention Center is being converted into a 250-bed makeshift hospital. There are also 100 modular treatment facilities being developed and put into place all over Maryland.
What do you think? Are you happy with the state's response to COVID-19 so far? Do you think using ice rinks as morgues is creative or macabre? Leave a comment, and let's get the conversation started.
