Cuomo: Hospitals should send unused coronavirus supplies to New York 'stockpile' instead of hoarding them

Governor Cuomo gives range for COVID-19 apex

Gov. Andrew Cuomo discusses the models he is following to determine the range for the coronavirus apex

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is calling on his state’s hospitals to donate any unused supplies to a “central stockpile” -- instead of hoarding them -- so they can be redistributed to facilities that need them during the outbreak.

“Supplies are an ongoing challenge. The personal protective equipment is an ongoing challenge, the gowns, the gloves, the ventilators,” he said Thursday. “We have for the first time ever, a hospital-by-hospital survey that will be done on a nightly basis of exactly what they have.”

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There are now 92,381 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New York state, which has resulted in 2,373 deaths.

“We have a central stockpile, we are asking all the hospitals to contribute what they have to that stockpile and then we will disperse on a need basis,” he continued. “Some hospitals have more supplies than they are using. We are saying, ‘don’t hoard supplies, let’s put all the supplies in a central stockpile and then we will draw down from the central stockpile and we will monitor this on a daily basis.'”

Cuomo estimated that at the current rate of distribution, New York will run out of ventilators in just days.

He said the state sent 400 of them to New York City last night, and 200 each to Long Island and Westchester.

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New York is still looking for ventilators to buy, he added, but noted if the state ran into a “real ventilator shortage,” it could take unused ventilators from upstate hospitals and send them downstate.

Cuomo also made a desperate plea for businesses to consider making other products that hospitals need, such as gowns and gloves.

“If you are a manufacturer who can convert to make these products and make them quickly... we will purchase them, and we will pay a premium and we will pay to convert or transition your manufacturing facility to a facility that can do this,” he said. “But, we need it like, now. We are not talking about two months, three months, four months. We need these materials now.”

Cuomo described those products as a state and national need.

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“Please contact us, we will work with you quickly, there will be no bureaucracy, no red tape... we will finance what you need,” he promised.

Businesses that are interested should call (212) 803-3100 or covid19supplies@esd.ny.gov.