Trucks 'for Bodies' Seen Outside New York City Hospital
New York City has ordered dozens of refrigerated trucks to deal with morgue overflows amid the coronavirus pandemic, local media said, and what appeared to be evidence of their use was seen at two Brooklyn hospitals over the weekend.
Videos circulating online showed trucks at the Maimonides Medical Center, and The Brooklyn Hospital Center.
In this video, streamed live on Facebook, a forklift is seen loading something into the back of a truck. The recorder, John Lee, who is opposite the Brooklyn Hospital Center, says it’s a body, though it’s not possible to confirm this from the video.
In a statement?, The Brooklyn Hospital Center said that following protocols established by public health officials, it had “accepted, from the New York City Office of Emergency Management, a refrigerated truck (parked now on Ashland Place) to serve as an ancillary morgue.”
The statement continued: "This is needed to accommodate the tragic spike in deaths, placing a strain on the entire system of care — from hospitals to funeral homes.
“Grieving families cannot quickly make arrangements, and their loved ones who have passed are remaining in hospitals longer, thus the need for this accommodation. We ask our community to be respectful during this time as we remain — more than ever — committed to Keeping Brooklyn Healthy.”
The number of deaths in New York from the coronavirus had passed 1,000 by March 29. Credit: John Lee via Storyful
