Possibly because open beds were located far from New York City. New York state is far larger than the city.
I used to live in new england. No part of NY is further than a few hours drive from any other part of the state, especially during lockdown traffic. The Stony Brook facility was on Long Island, only a 60-mile drive from downtown NYC. An ambulance/bus in a hurry could easily make the drive in under an hour.
What? Buffalo to NY is 6 hours.