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Closed Garland Hospital To Re-Open For Veterans With COVID-19

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A shuttered hospital in Garland will soon open as a COVID-19 treatment site for veterans — and it could open as soon as this week.

The hospital will initially open with about 100 beds for veterans diagnosed with the virus. Baylor Scott & White has donated the 470,000 square foot facility, which closed in 2018.

U.S. Representative Colin Allred, a North Texas Democrat, has been negotiating for months to secure the hospital for the Veterans Affairs system. He says the urgency around the coronavirus pandemic helped make it happen.

"Over time, it'll become a fully functioning veterans hospital, but for now, the idea is to make it available for veterans with COVID so they can be isolated if necessary," Allred said.

Allred says the site could be used as an overflow hospital for civilians if needed. North Texas health officials are preparing for COVID-19 cases to peak in late April or early May.

Syeda Hasan is the Elections Editor and Reporter at KERA. Before moving into that role, she covered mental health at the station. A Houston native, her journalism career has taken her to public radio newsrooms around Texas.