California Gov. Gavin Newsom sent 500 state-owned ventilators to other coronavirus hot spots, catching some local officials off guard.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to lend 500 state-owned ventilators to New York and other coronavirus hot spots outside California has caught some local officials in his own state off guard as they scramble to acquire the much-needed medical equipment, particularly in Riverside County.
“I understand and respect what the governor is doing. But are we going to be able to get the assistance that we’re going to need in a week or two weeks out?” Riverside County Supervisor Kevin Jeffries said Wednesday. “I think we were all a little surprised. We’re all trying to prepare so we’re not like New York.”Newsom on Monday said the state was able to lend the 500 ventilators to other states because California had an excess supply of the devices and those areas were in desperate need.
Brian Ferguson, spokesman for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said the state has been inundated with requests for respirators and personal protective gear from counties around the state, and is assisting areas with the most pressing needs first. Although Riverside County expects to need ventilators when an expected surge of coronavirus patients hits in late April, 305 of the 512 ventilators currently in the county were not in use as of Wednesday morning, according to county spokeswoman Brooke Federico.Federico said the county had initially requested 500 ventilators from the state, which was denied. The county later submitted a separate request for 1,000 ventilators that is pending.
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