Samaritan's Purse helps fight coronavirus in NYC: 'We never thought we would be in the United States'
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America is fighting a war with a disease of "biblical proportions," Samaritan's Purse VP Ken Isaacs said Saturday.
The Christian charity is aiding in the battle against coronavirus by setting up field hospitals in New York City's Central Park.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In an interview on "Fox & Friends Weekend" with host Pete Hegseth, Isaacs said the organization never thought they would have to set up in the iconic park, much less the United States.
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"Well, we have set up a 68-bed hospital here. It's got 10 ICU units in it. And, of all the places in the world that I have been -- and it's been a lot, Pete -- we never thought that we would come to New York. We never thought we would be in the United States with a hospital -- much less in Central Park," he stated. "But, we are here."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We have got 34 patients this morning. They're all critically ill. Five of them are in the ICU unit. And, the team is doing good. We have got about 85 Americans working here right now," he noted.
Samaritan's Purse is working with the Mount Sinai Health System which has multiple locations throughout the city. Isaacs said that the next step in their partnership is creating another facility.
"What's your message to Americans today as you are right there on the front line?" Hegseth asked.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"That we are in a war," Isaacs replied. "We are in a war and we are seeing our economies collapse. We're seeing thousands of people die. Over 7,000 policemen right here in New York are out of work."
According to NYPD Police Commissioner Dermot F. Shea's daily report on April 3, 6,695 uniformed members of the NYPD were on sick report, accounting for 18.5 percent of the Department's uniformed workforce.
"And I think the warnings that people are getting -- wash your hands, don't touch your face, stay away from other people -- those are all extremely important warnings, but I put my hope in Christ," he stated.
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"I'm 67. I have come up here to help and I know that I'm in a high-risk group. I came voluntarily like everyone else. That's because I love these people up here and I want them to know that Christ loves them," he told Hegseth.
"That's what we do. We help in Jesus' name at Samaritan's Purse. And, the city of New York and New Yorkers cannot be more warm and more welcoming to us," Isaacs concluded.