Dr. Laura Iavicoli, the public hospital system’s senior executive for emergency preparedness and an Emergency Room physician at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, said hospitals are going from “busier than normal” to “a little stretched.” In recent days, Bellevue in Manhattan and Jacobi in the Bronx have had to transfer ICU patients to other public hospitals.

"We are doing a little bit of redistributing around the system to give them COVID capacity," she said. "But it's very manageable."

The hospital system has also submitted requests for extra nurses from temporary staffing agencies. Iavicoli says all facilities have a three-month supply of personal protective equipment and have adapted various areas—including waiting rooms—to accept more patients, if necessary.