NEW YORK - The Norfolk-based USNS Comfort hospital ship has now treated a total of 163 patients as of Friday afternoon.
The ship received its first patient from New Jersey Friday afternoon.
According to USNS Comfort officials, more than 80 patients have been discharged.
Approximately half of the ship's patients have tested positive for coronavirus. Some of the cases are very complex patients with additional conditions that are being treated at the same time as they are being treated for COVID.
All four of the crew members who had tested positive for coronavirus have since recovered and are back to work again, according to officials.
News 3 spoke with Captain Patrick Ambersbach , the Commanding Officer of the military treatment facility on-board about how the mission is going.
"We have a lot of family members and a lot of friends back there that are dealing with the same situation as the people in New York and I’ve got to say thank you to our families and our friends and all those who supported us and those who had to wave at the pier as we pulled away at a very very dire time and at a time for all of us,"Captain Patrick Ambersbach said. "So if I could say anything to the people back in Hampton Roads – thank you for your support."
