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HEALTH
Coronavirus COVID-19

See inside the 3,000-bed coronavirus hospital being built in the largest convention center in North America

Grace Hauck
USA TODAY

CHICAGO – The largest convention center in North America is being converted into a 3,000-bed alternate care facility for COVID-19 patients, and photos released by the U.S. Air Force show how the conversion is unfolding.

The 2.6-million-square-foot McCormick Place Convention Center in downtown Chicago is expected to host patients with mild symptoms who don’t require intensive care, freeing up hospital beds for more severe coronavirus cases. The build-out of three areas of the campus was expected to take place in phases over the next few weeks, with up to 500 beds assembled by the end of the week.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has activated 30 Airmen from the Illinois National Guard to assist with the build-out, which was being supported by $15 million in federal funding from FEMA.

Here's what the conversion looks like inside McCormick Place.

Members of the Illinois Air National Guard assemble medical equipment at the McCormick Place Convention Center in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in Chicago on March 30, 2020.
About 30 members of the Guard were activated to support the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to temporarily convert part of the convention center into an Alternate Care Facility for virus patients with mild symptoms who do not require intensive care in the Chicago area.
Illinois is seeing a surge of coronavirus cases, particularly in Cook County, where Chicago is located.

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Members of the Illinois Air National Guard assemble medical equipment at the McCormick Place Convention Center in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Chicago on March 30, 2020.
Members of the Illinois Air National Guard assemble medical equipment at the McCormick Place Convention Center in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Chicago on March 30, 2020.
Members of the Illinois Air National Guard assemble medical equipment at the McCormick Place Convention Center in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Chicago on March 30, 2020.
Members of the Illinois Air National Guard assemble medical equipment at the McCormick Place Convention Center in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Chicago on March 30, 2020.
Illinois originally announced a stay-at-home order on March 20, but Gov. JB Pritzker has extended that order through the end of April.
McCormick Place convention center in Chicago. Saturday, March 28, 2020.
The United States Army Corps of Engineers expected to complete the 3,000-bed hospital by April 24.
To staff the new alternate care facility, Illinois is working with partners at existing medical centers that have additional staff capacity and is requesting volunteers with medical experience.

Follow Grace Hauck on Twitter @grace_hauck

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