Coronavirus: 202-Bed Facility Installed At Palomar Medical Center

ESCONDIDO, CA — A new 202-bed facility has been installed at the Palomar Medical Center Escondido, which will be activated if there is an influx of new coronavirus patients.

The installation comes after San Diego County sent a request on March 21 to the federal government, asking them to help set up a medical station. On April 3, the government approved the request to loan the county a medical center and began shipping the necessary equipment to Escondido, and as of Thursday, April 23 that facility is up and running and able to help out in case there is a surge of new coronavirus cases in the area.

The installation took over two vacant floors at the Palomar Medical Center and works as a fully functioning 202-bed hospital, with a pharmacy, nursing supplies and more. The facility can also be used for quarantine operations or as a place to store the dead short term in case of emergency.

Though the Federal Medical Station is set up and ready to receive patients, the county says patients will only be transferred there if totally necessary. Currently, San Diego County says residents have done a good enough job staying home and practicing safe social distancing that they've effectively slowed the spread of the coronavirus, but if there is a surge of cases again in the future, the facility is prepared and ready to help out.