President Donald Trump announced he was sending masks, gowns, gloves, and face shields to New York. That’s after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called on the federal government to help states get the critical supplies they need.
Cuomo says states are in competition with one another to purchase ventilators and personal protective gear. That means an 85 cent mask now costs $7, and it’s why Cuomo wants the federal government to step in.
“The situation is that critical. I think the federal government should order factories to manufacture masks, gowns, ventilators, the essential medical equipment that's going to make the difference between life and death.”
Cuomo says tests will begin this week on antiviral drugs that could be used to treat patients with COVID-19.
He also ordered hospitals to increase their capacity by at least 50%, and to cancel all elective surgeries.
