TOLEDO, Ohio — What once hosted concerts, fundraisers and other community events, is quickly being transformed into a make-shift hospital-like space.
Governor Mike DeWine has identified the SeaGate Centre in downtown Toledo as the space for additional coronavirus patients in northwest Ohio. Top generals with the Ohio National Guard tell WTOL plans for converting the space are already underway.
"The SeaGate Centre is being built up right now, the engineer assessment has been done, the approval paperwork has made it's way pretty quickly through the processes, so pretty quickly there you'll see things showing up," said General Harris.
The process is a collaboration with northwest Ohio healthcare systems. Engineer assessment teams go in and find out what healthcare workers need--then re-create that in spaces like the SeaGate Centre. Providers evaluate what will surpass their current hospital capability and what they will need the Guard to create.
"So in the case of the SeaGate Centre, they're looking at just over 400 beds there, that means patient dividers, that means beds, we may be helping with transportation, they may ask for food preparation," said General Harris.
Right now local guard units in northwest Ohio are assisting the Toledo Food Bank and helping wherever else they are needed. General Harris said Ohio has the 4th biggest national guard in the nation and have been able to fill needs on a volunteer mostly basis.