OLYMPIA, Wash. — We heard from retired Vice Adm. Raquel Bono just a day after President Donald Trump promised to send a military field hospital to Washington state. She doesn’t know yet exactly how many beds it will offer or where it should be placed.
“In terms of where they are going to be placed, I'd like to be able to work with the hospitals in Washington State and with a clearer picture of where our patients primarily need it.”
She had praise for the local hospitals and the health care workers staffing them, but she indicated their hardest work may be ahead.
“Candidly, many of those models predict large numbers of patients and that we can quickly get overrun.”
Bono is a surgeon with decades of experience. Her last job in the military was coordinating the massive health care systems operated by the Army, Navy and Air Force.
She believes Gov. Jay Inslee's new stay-at-home order will help reduce the number of COVID-19 cases, help to flatten the curve, but Bono does not minimize the threat.
“I don’t think we’ve gotten past this. I think we need to be very vigilant.”
More news from KIRO 7
- Coronavirus: Inslee announces mandatory statewide stay-at-home order
- Who’s working, what businesses are open during stay-at-home order
- ‘Indefinite shutdown’: Stress cracks endanger West Seattle Bridge
- TSA officer at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport tests positive for coronavirus
- Do you have an investigative story tip? Send us an email at investigate@kiro7.com
© 2020 Cox Media Group
