Hours before Niagara County officials announced their first confirmed case of COVID-19, officials announced they had reached a short-term deal with Eastern Niagara Hospital to reopen a former satellite facility to house quarantined individuals if necessary.
Financial struggles led Eastern Niagara Hospital to close the Newfane Intercommunity Hospital last fall. But the facility's infrastructure remains intact.
According to Niagara County officials, the site would be used, if necessary, for those are not showing symptoms of coronavirus but could not quarantine at home for various reasons.
"We are pleased to work closely with Niagara County to utilize hospital resources for the betterment of the public health," said Eastern Niagara Hospital chief executive officer Anne McCaffrey in a prepared statement. "It is our common goal to ensure the public health of our community and prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from accelerating in our region, to the greatest extent possible. While the need today is to use the facility to house quarantined individuals, Eastern Niagara Hospital, in conjunction with Niagara County, will continue to monitor the public health needs of the region and will evaluate the best usage of the facility on an ongoing basis."
Niagara County has established a page on its official website to provide updates and information related to COVID-19 coronavirus.
