An emergency field hospital for coronavirus patients is being built in New York Central Park’s East Meadow and set to open on Tuesday. (Photos: AFP)

Central Park's East Meadow on the Upper East Side used to be a spot for picnickers and sunbathers, but has now turned into a field hospital with 68 beds.

The hospital was constructed through a partnership between Mount Sinai, aid organization Samaritan’s Purse and intergovernmental agencies and will “provide care for patients seriously ill with COVID-19,” CNBC reported.

US Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort will also help New York control the outbreak, providing another 1,000 beds.

The US has confirmed 164,603 cases of COVID-19 as of 1pm on Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The makeshift hospitals are a few examples of how New York tries hard to deal with the pandemic.