The San Diego-based ship USNS Mercy is one of two Navy hospital vessels that will be stationed off each U.S. coast to aid in the fight against the coronavirus.
The USNS Mercy -- homeported at Naval Base San Diego -- and USNS Comfort -- based in Virginia -- will be deployed along the West and East coasts, respectively, to provide relief for area medical facilities. The USNS Mercy is the lead ship in its class.
Her primary mission is to provide rapid, flexible, and mobile acute medical and surgical services to support Marine Corps Air/Ground Task Forces deployed ashore, Army and Air Force units deployed ashore, and naval amphibious task forces and battle forces afloat. Secondarily, she provides mobile surgical hospital service for use by appropriate US Government agencies in disaster or humanitarian relief or limited humanitarian care incident to these missions or peacetime military operations such as a pandemic like the coronavirus.
During a Wednesday morning press briefing on the nation’s coronavirus actions, President Trump confirmed the usage of the hospital ships.
(Photo credit reporting partner 10News)