MIAMI – The projected peak of coronavirus cases in Florida is still several weeks away, but the ominous sight of mobile morgues is starting to show up.
Sky 10 cameras captured two refrigerated trucks arriving to the Miami-Dade medical examiner's office Tuesday.
Local 10 News has learned the coolers are on standby to serve as mobile morgues in case of an overflow of bodies infected with COVID-19 in the coming weeks.
“if you look at the case total and what’s going on throughout the state, we continue to see the bulk of the cases in the three southeastern Florida counties," said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. "They represent about 60 percent of the total cases (and) more than 60 percent of the hospitalizations."
The images are similar to what we’ve seen in New York City, where hospitals have been overwhelmed, or in Chicago, where an entire warehouse has been equipped to house the dead during this pandemic.
Sources tell Local 10 News the efforts in South Florida are a precaution, in light of the uncertainty of how this crisis will develop, and the rising death toll.
A spokesperson for Jackson Memorial System telling Local 10 News they’ve secured three mobile morgues, adding, “As we navigate through this crisis, we are learning from other areas that have faced severe medical challenges like New York City and, out of an abundance of caution, we are trying to plan ahead. We remain hopeful that our community continues to follow social distancing practices and stay at home orders to minimize the impact of this virus in Miami-Dade County.”