Old Sears Store Becomes Temporary Hospital In Riverside

Just a few months ago, the 90-thousand square foot building on Arlington Avenue in Riverside, was bustling with shoppers looking for bargains at Sears.

But Sears is gone, replaced by a different kind of bustling at the site.

Riverside County is turning the former department store into a temporary hospital, using equipment from the U-S Department of Health and Human Services to set up a federal medical station similar to the one at the county fairgrounds in Indio.

The California National Guard is setting up the hospital which will have 125 beds and will be used to house patients when hospitals get full due to an expected surge in Covid-19 cases in the County in April and May.

The makeshift hospital in Riverside will be staffed with 40 healthcare personnel.

Photo from Riverside County Public Health Department