Coronavirus: Field hospitals being built at Miami-Dade Youth Fair and Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — The big white tent where the Miami-Dade Youth Fair’s animal showcase should’ve been is now being transformed into a field hospital.

A similar 250-bed field hospital is going up at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport.

The idea is to get them set up in case they’re needed as medical facilities battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

“What the county is trying to do is stay ahead of the curve,” said Eddie Cora, president of the Miami-Dade Youth Fair organization. The fair was canceled on March 12 when Miami-Dade canceled all mass gatherings.

Cora said that this weekend he called the mayor to offer the sadly empty fairgrounds for the public good.

Broward’s first and only field hospital should be up and ready within the next 24-48 hours at the executive airport.

It’s unclear if the field hospitals will be used for coronavirus patients or those with other ailments.

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Glenna Milberg

Glenna Milberg

Emmy award-winning journalist Glenna Milberg joined Local 10 News in September 1999. She hosts "This Week in South Florida", South Florida’s highest-rated, most-watched public affairs program, anchors Local 10 World News Weekends, and covers South Florida's top stories and big issues for Local 10 News.

Terrell Forney

Terrell Forney

Terrell Forney joined Local 10 News in October 2005 as a general assignment reporter. He was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, but a desire to escape the harsh winters of the north brought him to South Florida.