A surge in deaths in the epicenter of the coronavirus crisis in the U.S., New York City, has overwhelmed the city's permanent morgues and filled storage spaces in many hospitals to capacity, according to KAAL TV website.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is sending 85 refrigerated trucks to serve as temporary morgues.
Brooklyn Hospital Center said in a statement that the "unprecedented crisis calls for extraordinary measures" and that extra storage is needed "to accommodate the tragic spike in deaths, placing a strain on the entire system of care - from hospitals to funeral homes."
The city's medical examiner's office has also started operating a makeshift morgue, as it did after the Sept. 11 attacks, to provide emergency capacity as the city's permanent facilities fill up.
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