Washington state and California have both announced they will send hundreds of ventilators to other states hit the hardest by the coronavirus.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Sunday that about 400 of the 500 ventilators sent to the state from the federal stockpile will be sent to hot spot states such as New York following a slowdown in coronavirus cases in Washington.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom made a similar announcement Monday, saying 500 state-owned ventilators will be sent to the Strategic National Stockpile.
“California is stepping up to help our fellow Americans in New York and across the country who are being impacted the hardest right now by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Newsom said. “We still have a long road ahead of us in the Golden State — and we’re aggressively preparing for a surge — but we can’t turn our back on Americans whose lives depend on having a ventilator now. We’re meeting this moment with compassion. I know that if the tables were turned and we were experiencing a hospital surge, other states would come to our aid and provide ventilators just as we are today.”
Washington was the first state to detect a coronavirus outbreak in January, but the state has seen a slowdown in cases that Inslee attributes to stay-at-home restrictions and social distancing guidelines.
President Trump lauded Inslee for the announcement on Sunday during a coronavirus briefing at the White House.
“The state of Washington has done very well.”@realDonaldTrump praises @GovInslee and thanks him for returning 400 ventilators that can be distributed to other states. pic.twitter.com/CCkwt9fs7S
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) April 5, 2020
“The state of Washington has done very well,” Trump said. “They won’t be needing some of the ventilators that have been sent. About 400, that’s a lot. And we appreciate that [Inslee’s] able to give them back. He feels confident that they are in good shape for the coming weeks until we can declare a final victory.”
