McAllen Convention Center Becomes Temporary Healthcare Facility for COVID-19 Patients

MCALLEN, TEXAS — The administration of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has converted the McAllen Convention Center, located in the Rio Grande Valley near Mexico, into a temporary healthcare facility for COVID-19 patients. Texas, one of the first states to reopen, has seen a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, recording as many as 8,000 new cases per day during some stretches. The 174,000-square-foot facility has the capacity to house as many as 250 patients, but it opened on Tuesday with the stated goal of taking up to 50 patients to start and increasing intake and capacity as needed. The property sits on 18.5 acres and features a 60,000-square-foot free exhibit hall, a grand ballroom, two boardrooms and 16 breakout rooms for meetings and smaller events. According to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, the state has recorded about 460,000 positive cases and 7,500 deaths since the pandemic began.