Dallas County Commissioners are asking for more data from local hospitals before voting Wednesday on whether to approve funding for a temporary coronavirus treatment hospital at Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.
Commissioner J.J. Koch said on Monday that the commissioner's court was waiting to hear from local hospitals regarding their needs and to learn when Dallas County might need the beds.
In late March, Gov. Greg Abbott announced the convention center in Downtown Dallas would be one of the state's first temporary hospitals.
Officials with the National Guard were identifying facilities across the state that could become an overflow hospital, if needed, and decided the convention would be the first to open.
The three-month management contract will cost Dallas up to $2 million.
The temporary hospital, which has about 250 beds and 40,000 square feet, will serve as a step-down facility to accommodate coronavirus patients recovering from the virus.
Dallas County Health Director Philip Huang said last week that he expects the peak in cases to occur in late April or early May.
At 24 hospitals in Dallas County, here are the numbers as of Sunday:
- Total beds: 5,415
- Beds occupied: 2,751
- Total ICU beds: 813
- ICU beds occupied: 491
- Total ventilators: 887
- Ventilators in use: 283
