Army to use CenturyLink Field Event Center for field hospital amid coronavirus pandemic

SEATTLE -- The US Army Corps of Engineers will open a field hospital at Seattle's CenturyLink Field Event Center amid the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the Department of Defense, about 300 soldiers are being deployed from the 627th Army Hospital from Fort Carson, Colorado.

Soldiers and local authorities in Washington state conducted a survey of CenturyLink Field and a state fairground as possible locations.

"There's a lot of hotels, but there's an awful lot of fields, great big soccer stadiums," Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite told FOX News. "Right now, we're in Seattle's stadium to be able to take care where the Seahawks play. You take an existing hospital, like an existing FEMA hospital. You bring it into one of these existing structures."

Mayor Jenny Durkan said later Friday that CenturyLink Field's Event Center will be the field hospital site.

The goal of the field hospital is to lessen the burden on local hospitals so that the local hospitals can focus on treating patients with COVID-19.

“As we continue to do everything possible to slow the spread of COVID-19 throughout Washington state, we also need to prepare our healthcare delivery system to deal with people who are sick, or may become ill, as well as all the other health needs of Washingtonians. This field hospital will help us do that and I am grateful to the Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army, and FEMA for bringing in these much needed resources of people, supplies and equipment. I appreciate Mayor Durkan’s leadership in helping to bring this to the Puget Sound region. Together, we will stop the spread of this virus and help save lives,” Gov. Jay Inslee said.

As of Friday, Washington state had more than 3,700 confirmed cases, including 175 deaths.