NYC morgues near capacity, DHS briefing warns

[Princess Turandot]

9. NYC (sadly) has an extensive contingency plan for this...

This is a bit sensationalistic, I expect.

'Morgues' are referring to the official facilities of the NYC Medical Examiner (I assume). However, each hospital also has facilities for the deceased because of normal transportation delays, and because in the normal course of matters, only certain cases need to be sent to the ME. The hospital facilities thus will also be used.

The main ME facility in Manhattan is part of a half-mile 11-block long stretch of private, public and VA health facilities between First Avenue and the East River. If it comes to it, they have quite a bit of room for refrigeration trucks on the side streets; that's what they did post 9/11.

This is just a conjecture on my part, but given the uncertainty around the virus, concerns about infection control will be the challenge here, from the hospital mortuary to the funeral directors/morticians. I read that in China by decree of the government most of the deceased were cremated as quickly as possible, without any ceremony/funeral attended by family members. I don't see that happening here.