Colombian President Iván Duque said on Saturday, on a Facebook live, that the country is working to triple the number of intensive care beds to meet the hospitalizations that will be required by the coronavirus epidemic.

He explained that there are 5,600 ICU beds in the country, of which about half are occupied. As a result, more than 2,600 new ones are being activated, and a plan to triple that number is underway. Hotels can be used for this.

In Brazil, field hospitals set up in the last few days have already increased the number of beds in general. According to Veja magazine, next Wednesday, the health network of the city of São Paulo will have the reinforcement of 200 beds for the care of diagnosed cases of the new coronavirus, set up at the Pacaembu stadium. The following week, on Monday, another 300 beds will be made available in the field hospital prepared in the Anhembi exhibition center.

According to the local government, the temporary spaces will serve to stabilize patients who have aggravated conditions. These patients will then be taken to hospital ICUs in the sequence.

In Rio de Janeiro, Maracanã will receive one of the six field hospitals that will be built in the state to meet the increased demand from patients. There will be 900 ICU beds, which represents 53% of the number of beds in the state. In March, a survey showed that 100% of the ICU beds were already occupied.