After six weeks of fighting COVID-19 in New York City's Central Park, a Christian charity is preparing to close down their field hospital as cases in New York continue to decline.

Samaritan's Purse set up in the iconic park at the end of March after being approached by Mount Sinai Hospital. The field hospital contained a respiratory unit and 68 beds. Through the course of the six weeks they were there they treated 191 patients.

The hospital was also the focus of much criticism during its time, including the mayor of New York City. Samaritan's Purse requires volunteers to sign a statement of faith, part of which includes wording against same-sex marriages. "We believe that marriage is exclusively the union of one genetic male and one genetic female," the statement reads.

Mayor Bill de Blasio had called for the hosptial's removal saying hate had no place in New York City.

Franklin Graham, who heads up Samaritan's Purse, told Religion News Service, "We provide our services to everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation. We don’t discriminate. Period."

As the tents come down in Central Park, staff will continue to assist overworked hospital staff in the city. 

"The entire medical community in New York is stressed to the limit," Graham says. "It’s very difficult. By staying, we can take some of the shifts and night calls and take responsibility for a couple of the wards or floors to give other people some rest. We'll be glad to do that."