I seem to remember various huge warehouses and hotels being requisitioned by local governments and medical authorities for a projected mass surge in corona pati

I seem to remember various huge warehouses and hotels being requisitioned by local governments and medical authorities for a projected mass surge in corona patients, which never materialized. These emergency triage centres sat empty and unused. It was somewhat embarrassing. Yes, some places had temporary surges for which they were unable to cope, early in the pandemic. Wuhan, parts of Italy, New York, a few others. But it never happened in a systematic way. If hospitals truly believed that overcrowding were a looming threat, they would not be laying off nurses as they are in many American localities.