# A Review of COVID-19 Hotels in New York City During the Early 2020 Outbreak: An Alternative Care Model

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how New York City used hotels as alternative care sites during the early 2020 COVID-19 outbreak to ease hospital strain and manage community spread.

## Contribution

The paper presents a novel case study on the operationalization of non-medical hotel facilities for isolation and quarantine during a public health crisis.

## Key findings

- NYC's hotel program successfully provided alternate care for non-inpatient COVID-19 cases, reducing hospital burden.
- Interagency collaboration improved clinical criteria, infection control, and discharge planning for hotel-based care.
- The program highlighted the importance of addressing social determinants and behavioral health in non-traditional care settings.

## Abstract

New York City (NYC) was the epicenter of the early US COVID-19 pandemic. From March to May 2020, overburdened healthcare centers precipitated an emergent need for non-traditional facilities to meet patient care demands. Given travel restrictions and NYC's underutilized tourist infrastructure, hotels were available to support emergency response needs. This article describes the process by which NYC's non-medical COVID-19 hotel programs were selected, mobilized, and operated, including lessons learned.

NYC agencies and organizations collaborated, creating an interagency initiative that activated hotels to provide safe isolation and quarantine spaces for those diagnosed with or exposed to COVID-19, aiming to reduce community spread, increase capacity for NYC's strained healthcare system, and mitigate interagency redundancy. Interagency groups addressed hotel challenges, including infection prevention and control; behavioral health, intellectual, and developmental disorders; social determinants of health; and coordination, operations, and planning.

NYC's COVID-19 hotel program successfully supported overburdened hospitals by providing alternate locations for non-inpatient COVID-19 individuals. Community engagement required a methodical approach, balancing quality assurance with efficient access. An interagency coordinating body developed and shared clinical criteria for hotel admissions, infection prevention and control (IPC) procedures, and discharge plans, enhancing the program's ability to scale and address complex needs. Lessons learned from this program can be applied for smoother implementation of similar programs in the future.