The University of Pittsburgh is opening one of its residence halls to house doctors and nurses from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) who are working extra shifts and can’t go home.
CBS Pittsburgh reports that with all but 500 students gone from campus, Pitt is looking at ways it can help the medical center as the region rides the upward trend of the coronavirus outbreak.
With doctors and nurses working long hours and not wanting to take the virus risk home, the university has made its student housing available.
Lothrop Hall is next to UPMC Presbyterian and in some cases, the buildings are physically connected.
Pitt Chancellor Patrick Gallagher says the remaining students are being moved out of Lothrop Hall to make way for the facility to be used by UPMC doctors and nurses.
Under normal circumstances, Lothrop can house more than 700 students on its 14 floors.
Most of the rooms are single occupancy.
Lothrop is the closest residence hall to UPMC Presbyterian; it is one of many residence halls on the Pitt campus.
Chancellor Gallagher says the university is under “active consideration” about what other facilities could be made available if the UPMC system gets challenged and needs more space for patients.
