New York governor pleads for help

New York needs 1 million more healthcare workers to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. A 1,000-bed Navy hospital ship arrived at a Manhattan pier on Monday to ease the burden on city hospitals as the city’s death toll neared 1,000. “I am asking healthcare professionals across the country, if you don’t have a healthcare crisis in your community, please come help us in New York now,” Cuomo said.

Could this happen in my town? COVID-19 has battered major cities, including Chicago, Detroit, and New Orleans. U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., warned this week that hospitals are nearly at capacity, and officials are converting the New Orleans convention center into a recovery unit for coronavirus patients. More and more areas are under stay-at-home orders. But big cities aren’t the only places at risk: Hot spots are erupting in rural and suburban areas such as Albany, Ga.; Decatur County, Ind.; and Blaine County, Idaho.

Dig deeper: Read Emily Belz’s report on the new Samaritan’s Purse field hospital in New York’s Central Park.