The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez Formula 1 facility is being converted into a temporary field hospital to assist in caring for those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Announced via social media on Sunday, the Mexico City Grand Prix venue will be transformed into a hospital.
"The Hermanos Rodríguez Autodrome will be enabled as a hospital to attend to cases of COVID-19," read a tweet from the official Mexican Grand Prix account.
"It will have 192 beds, plus 26 intensive care beds, as well as dining rooms and dressing rooms."
📢 El Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez será habilitado como Hospital para atender casos de COVID-19. Contará con 192 camas, más 26 camas de cuidados intensivos, así como comedores y vestidores. pic.twitter.com/VNZm07bgl5
Zoé Robledo, General Director of the Mexican Institute of Social Security, said “The site is being prepared to be used as an expansion hospital that will serve to house more beds, mainly for patients with mild symptoms that still require hospitalization and cannot return to their homes and be treated as outpatients.“
“Mexico City needs a sizeable increase [in medical capacity], the IMMS (Mexican Social Security Institute) has 17 adapted hospitals and today an increase in capacity is required in this city.“
Supervisamos la construcción de lo que será el Hospital de Expansión en el Autódromo Hermanos Rdz. Se instalaron 8 módulos de hospitalización para 192 camas, más 26 camas de cuidados intensivos.
Formula 1 returned to Mexico in 2015 and, with the 2020 edition of the newly dubbed 'Mexico City Grand Prix' due to take place on November 1, the event is thought to be one of those more secure in it's position.