Indio Fairgrounds site remains equipped to treat coronavirus patients

A building at the Indio Fairgrounds remains prepared to house coronavirus patients in the event that area hospitals run out of space.

That's the word from Riverside County Public Information Officer Brooke Federico.

Federico says beds and all the necessary equipment to treat less seriously ill patients are still in place at the fairgrounds site, which the county calls a "Federal Medical Station".

It was set up shortly after the pandemic began.

If it's necessary to open the place, Federico says all the county has to do is staff the site.

"At this point it is important to note that we don't have a specific time on when we may need to open that hospital, or Federal Medical Station, or upon which we could be able to identify staffing for it as well," said Federico.

Federico says the site at the fairgrounds is set up to serve patients in eastern Riverside County, while a similar 125 bed site is now set up inside the old Sears building in Riverside for serving patients in the western part of the county.

There are no plans yet to open that site as well.