USNS Mercy hospital ship to return to San Diego following relief efforts in LA

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The San Diego-based hospital ship USNS Mercy began the trip back to its home port today following nearly two months in Los Angeles, where it served as a relief valve while Southland medical centers coped with the burgeoning coronavirus pandemic.

The 1,000-bed ship left San Diego on March 23 and sailed into the Port of Los Angeles on March 27, as local health authorities prepared for a feared surge of coronavirus cases that could have overwhelmed Southland hospitals. The ship was not brought in to treat COVID-19 cases, but to handle other patients and free up hospital beds for...