EL PASO, Texas — The El Paso Convention Center is getting a makeover of sorts as it is being prepared to take in an influx of patients amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
KENS 5 obtained these photos and video showing the ongoing work to transform it into an alternate care facility as was announced by Governor Greg Abbott at the beginning of the week.
The Texas Division of Emergency Management is focused on making the facility available by the end of the week to provide 50 low to medium acuity beds, with the capability of expanding to 100 beds. That way local hospitals that have a need to transfer patients in order to care for higher acuity patients within El Paso hospitals can do so.
The facility will provide El Paso with additional hospital beds, medical equipment and medical personnel to assist with the region's COVID-19 response.
Governor Abbott also directed TDEM and the Texas Department of State Health Services to deploy auxiliary medical units (or AMUs) to provide onsite surge capacity for local hospitals.
The governor's office said the state is providing a fully-supplied and staffed AMU, which can provide up to 100 beds on site at a local hospital. More than 900 medical personnel have also been assigned to El Paso, some of which will staff the AMU.
"The alternate care site and auxiliary medical units will reduce the strain on hospitals in El Paso as we contain the spread of COVID-19 in the region," Governor Abbott said. "We continue to work closely with local officials in El Paso and provide resources to reduce hospitalizations, mitigate the spread, and keep the people of El Paso safe."