Utica College prepares for outbreak support

Utica College is preparing to provide assistance to healthcare professionals, first responders, and patients during the coronavirus outbreak.

Assistance to healthcare professionals, first responders, and patients during the coronavirus outbreak.

Newschannel 2's kirk tupaj tells us what the college in planning.

Health officials are projecting the coronavirus to peak in the coming weeks, and the cases requiring hospital care may become overwhelming.

Utica college is stepping up by preparing areas to accommodate a number people.

Shad crowe is the director of emergency management at uc, and explains how the burrstone house can be utilized.

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None sot: shad crowe, director of emergency management utica college so what we've done here is we've dedicated the space here for doctors, nurses, first responders, any hospital staff that need a place to stay& either concerned about exposing their family after having been in an environment where the virus is in existence, or just working long hours and want to be in close proximity to the hospital.

Sot: kirk tupaj utica college is in the final stages of sanitizing boehlert hall to be used as temporary housing for first responders and healthcare professionals if the need should arise.

Burrstone house will be used in the interim.

Sot: shad crowe, director of emergency management utica college primarily we're going to be offering this space initially for people who just need a place to stay after working many hours, but there's a very good possibility we may end up housing folks that have been exposed, and maybe they test positive, and they need to isolate.

That option is there as well.

Once the virus reaches peak, there may be a need for drive through clinics.

Sot: shad crowe, director of emergency management utica college mvhs had a drive through clinic here in the front of burrstone.

If in the event that it's needed again, mvhs has plans to open the doors again and we're going to secure the space here in the front, and continue to dedicate that if the need arises.

In the event there becomes a larger need, utica college is prepared to offer up additional space.

Sot: shad crowe, director of emergency management utica college utica college pioneers dome has been offered as a potential location i think for something similar to what they're doing in new york city.

A stand-up temporary hospital type area.

Coming up tonight at six we'll walk you through burrstone house and show you just how well thought out this plan is.

It's also worth noting that uc isn't the only college taking precautionary action.

In utica, i'm kirk tupaj reporting for newschannel 2.> suny oneonta could be