NORFOLK, Va. -- The U.S. Navy has announced that the hospital ship sent to relieve stressed New York City hospitals as coronavirus cases surged will leave this week and return to its homeport in Virginia.
Officials said in a statement Tuesday that the USNS Comfort will set sail for Norfolk on Thursday.
The ship docked in Manhattan on March 30. It was originally deployed to care for non-coronavirus patients, but soon began accepting those with the virus as the city’s hospitals continued to crowd.
Officials say the ship will now restock and remain ready for possible future deployments.