New York City has quickly become the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic and many doctors, nurses and other professionals on the frontlines, battling the virus, are still being put through long commutes as well as potentially infecting their families. Governor Andrew Cuomo has made an announcement Wednesday that the iconic Four Seasons Hotel in midtown, New York is going to offer housing medical personnel for free.
As of last Friday, The Four Seasons on East 57th street has been closed to the public and will not be taking any reservations till at least April 15th. Close to the hotel is a number of hospitals including Bellevue, NYU Langone, Weill Cornell Medical Center and Mount Sinai.
"Our health care workers are working tirelessly on the front lines of this crisis," said Ty Warner, the chairman of the hotel's corporate owner, in a statement to WCBS.
"Many of those working in New York City have to travel long distances to and from their homes after putting in 18-hour days. They need a place close to work where they can rest and regenerate. I heard Governor Cuomo's call to action during one of his press conferences, and there was no other option for us but do whatever we could to help."
They are the first of many hotels to do so, as Cuomo said in his tweet making the announcement.
This news comes as more and more health care professionals are scared to go to work, not just because they fear they may get sick, but fear they may pass it on to their families.
"I'm scared for my loved ones. Honestly, I'm being as candid as I can be. I'm no hero, but I'm not scared about myself," Zaheer Shah, a primary care physician in Arizona, toldCBS This Morning. "I'm willing to bargain my own safety, but am I willing to bargain the safety of my child and my mother-in-law? I think that may be a bridge too far."
If you are a healthcare professional working at a hospital near The Four Seasons, please consider moving into their hotel while you are working.
Photo: The Four Seasons