Lourdes Hospital Explains Tents Set Up at Emergency Department

People passing by large health-care providers in Broome County may be noticing some white tents set up in parking lots.

Officials say some of those tents are in preparation for possible future use should new areas be needed for screening, testing or treatments related to coronavirus.

In the case of tents seen outside the entrance to Lourdes Hospital’s Emergency Department on Riverside Drive, officials say the space is being used to evaluate and screen patients coming to the department.  The tents allow staff to separate patients who present with respiratory symptoms from those with non-respiratory emergencies.