Emergency coronavirus hospital coming to Fresno. Here’s where it’s expected to go

Fresno County has picked the convention center as the site for the emergency coronavirus field hospital. If the state approves, the facility will be up and running next week, an official told The Bee.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began their evaluation of two facilities in the convention center at noon Thursday. Fresno EMS director Dan Lynch expects the assessment to wrap up by Friday.

Beds, personal protective gear and other equipment to treat 250 patients should arrive next week. The county initially hoped to receive supplies by the end of this week, but Lynch said a surge in COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles landed earlier than expected, so the state shifted their attention to L.A.

“We’re still on a good time frame to have this thing set up and ready to go when we may, unfortunately, need it,” Lynch said.

Of the 250 beds, the county still plans to ship out at least 100 of those to two other counties in the central San Joaquin Valley, given that the beds are meant to serve the entire valley. Officials have not cemented plans yet on where those beds will go.

Sharing supplies will ease the strain on local doctors and aid neighboring communities, Lynch said. Staffing remains the region’s biggest challenge.

“You can have all the beds and patient equipment, but we need staff,” Lynch told the Bee on Tuesday.

The county initially picked the Fresno fairgrounds to house the emergency medical unit, but the Army Corps of Engineers detected asbestos in the walls, along with lead paint. Asbestos is a known human carcinogen that can cause lung cancer or mesothelioma when inhaled.

Officials were frustrated with the decision because the state had long approved the fairgrounds for these types of emergencies.