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NEW YORK — In the last day, 1,000 retired medical workers in New York have volunteered to fight the spread of coronavirus, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday evening.

Hospitals are in need of more space, beds and staffing as the COVID-19 outbreak continues. De Blasio on Tuesday called for retired medical personnel to help.

“I think that’s so inspiring, so many people are coming forward to help and that’s how we’re going to beat this back,” he said in an interview on WCBS 880.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state has also reached out to retired nurses, retired doctors, nursing schools and medical schools “to build up a reserve capacity.”

“You have to anticipate that some hospital workers will get sick during this, so you need a reserve capacity for that basis,” he said.

The city is also considering converting hotels into medical facilities or using them as a “quarantine-like setting,” de Blasio said on WCBS 880.