New York is currently the US epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. So when the USNS Comfort arrived at Pier 90, a cruise terminal on Manhattan’s west side, many saw it as a symbol of hope and wanted to be on hand to witness and celebrate the ship’s arrival.

Unfortunately, crowds gathering to witness the historic moment completely ignored the social distancing rules that have been put in place to help relieve the strained healthcare system.

The USNS Comfort, which houses 1,000 hospital beds, 12 operating rooms, 80 intensive care units, a pharmacy, and a medical laboratory, will assist in handling non COVID-19 patients; while hospitals better equipped to manage coronavirus can shift their resources to the growing pandemic.