ST. LOUIS — The Dome at America's Center has been identified as a facility that could serve as an emergency medical facility by the Missouri National Guard if COVID-19 cases overwhelm the hospital systems in the area.
The Missouri National Guard identified seven locations across the state that could serve as emergency medical facilities if the coronavirus becomes too much for hospitals to handle. The buildings are:
- Hy-Vee Arena (formerly Kemper Arena) and Silverstein Eye Centers Arena (formerly Independence Event Center) in Kansas City
- The Dome at America's Center (formerly the Edward Jones Dome) in St. Louis
- Hammons Student Center and JQH Arena in Springfield
- Missouri Southern State University Legget and Platt Arena in Joplin
- The Show-Me Center in Cape Girardeau
- Hearnes Arena in Columbia
The National Guard worked with the Department of Health and Senior Services, the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency, the Missouri Office of Administration, the Missouri Hospital Association, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to identify the locations.
Two other sites were still being considered in Kansas City.
The three main criteria for the selections were:
- Located in areas with deficient bed counts,
- Areas with spaces large enough for patient populations, and
- Areas where utilities are available to start immediate construction if necessary.
New York has utilized emergency hospitals in Central Park, and Navy ships were dispatched to help with hospital overflow.