The Beautiful Game Vs Coronavirus - Brazil Football Stadiums To Turn Into Field Hospitals

With coronavirus cases around the world on the rise, countries are seeing their hospitals piled up with patients and are struggling to find space for all the affected people.

The countries are now turning many facilities into temporary hospitals to deal with the COVID-19 crises. Now in a selfless act, Brazil¡¯s top football clubs are handing over their stadiums to allow health authorities to turn them into field hospitals and clinics to fight the pandemic.

Folha

With football in the country suspended until further notice, more than half the clubs in Brazil¡¯s Serie A have given up their stadiums as authorities in densely populated Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro seek to expand hospital capacity to deal with the crisis.

Current South American champion Flamengo is giving control of its famous Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro to health authorities, said club president Rodolfo Landim.

Goal

¡°In this grim moment, I wanted to invite our great Red and Black nation to renew hope and work for better days. Let us take care of our elders, help those who need it most,¡± Landim wrote in a message to supporters.

Authorities in Sao Paulo - Brazil¡¯s biggest city - said they would install 200 beds in a field hospital at the Pacaembu municipal stadium to relieve pressure on the city¡¯s hospitals, while two of the city¡¯s big clubs were also lending a hand.

Corinthians have also made their stadium and their training headquarters available to the authorities to combat the spread of the disease.

Santos announced that a temporary clinic would be set up in one of the lounges inside its stadium.

Brazil currently has 1,128 confirmed infections and 18 deaths.

Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta on Friday predicted the virus would reach its peak in the country between April and June, anticipating a drop in COVID-19 infections from September.

Mandetta warned the health system in the country of 210 million people could reach saturation by the end of April.