On March 27, the USNS Mercy arrived at the Port of Los Angeles to aid in the local response to the outbreak of COVID-19. Now, on the opposite side of San Pedro Bay, another colossal ship could serve in a similar capacity.
The Long Beach Post reports that local officials are in discussions to potentially convert the iconic Queen Mary into a medical facility for the treatment of coronavirus patients. The exact used planned for the ship, which currently operates as a roughly 300-room hotel, has not been announced.
The City of Long Beach has already announced plans to use its Convention & Entertainment center as an overflow hospital, according to the Post, following similar moves by Los Angeles and San Diego.
Long Beach Community Hospital is also in the process of temporarily reopening to provide treatment for COVID-19.
The Queen Mary, which has been docked at the Port of Long Beach since the late 1960s, is currently managed by Los Angeles-based developer Urban Commons. The company announced plans to develop a $250-million retail and hotel complex on the parking lots surrounding the ship in 2017.
