Dortmund Convert Stadium Into Covid-19 Treatment Centre
German Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund have converted part of their 81,000 capacity Signal Iduna Park into a coronavirus treatment centre.
The North Stand of Germany’s biggest stadium will be used exclusively for suspected cases with assistance from the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians of Westphalia-Lippe (KVWL).
The Bundesliga, like most European leagues, is on hold because of the continuous spread of Covid-19.
Germany have so far recorded over 92,000 cases of the virus while 1,330 people have lost their lives in the country.
“Our stadium is the figurehead of the city, a fixed point for almost everyone in Dortmund and the surrounding area and, thanks to its technical, infrastructural and spatial conditions, the ideal place to actively help people who are potentially infected by coronavirus,” said chief executives Hans-Joachim Watzke and Carsten Cramer.
“It is our duty and our desire to do everything in our power to help these people. In the KVWL we have a perfect partner at our side to lead this fight successfully.”
Dr. Kirk Spelmeyer, chairman at KVWL, added: “Sure, the idea is unusual at first – with a fever and respiratory problems in the stadium for examination. But in fact we have the ideal conditions here: we were therefore very happy about the offer of help from BVB.
“The influx of patients [at the first clinic] is immense. The colleagues really do an excellent job, but we noticed that we urgently need to expand our capacities.”
Dortmund players took pay cuts last week to help non-playing staff at the club retain their jobs in these trying times.
