Due to many rumors on social media, Atrium Health has issued a statement regarding the temporary morgues located at Atrium Northeast Hospital in Concord. While it appears the rumors are true that these are temporary morgues, they have not been placed there for immediate need, but rather the possibility they may be needed in the near future.

It states, "Atrium Health continues to implement plans for the increased impact COVID-19 will have on our community. As part of our ongoing pandemic planning, we are coordinating and working with every hospital in our system to prepare for the anticipated influx of COVID-19 patients in the weeks ahead. This includes decreasing non-essential appointments and procedures early on, our emphasis on virtual health visits and identifying extra available space for patients. We are also preparing for the possibility there may be a higher number of patients who succumb to COVID-19. The extent of how fast COVID-19 will spread, the impact it has, and our ability to serve the community during this state of emergency is directly dependent on how well our community observes the physical distancing and stay-at-home orders in place today. We continue to urge the community to do their part in flattening the curve. These measures underscore how vitally important it is for the community to observe stay-at-home and physical distancing orders in place."