New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo offered significant incentives to American companies to start producing protective gear so the state can stop buying coronavirus supplies from China.
During a press conference on Thursday, Cuomo announced funding for companies willing to alter their manufacturing capabilities to produce personal protective equipment for healthcare providers fighting the coronavirus. He called it the “cruelest irony” that the United States has been forced to buy goods from China.
“It is the cruelest irony that this nation is now dependent on China for production of many of these products. Many of these products in the normal marketplace were being produced in China. And now you have everyone shopping China for PPE, gowns, ventilators. The gowns, the gloves, are not complicated components to manufacture. The gowns are Tyvek or paper material,” Cuomo said.
He continued: “If you are a manufacturer who can convert to make these products and make them quickly — they are not complicated products. The FDA lists the specifications for these products on their website. If you have the capacity to make these products, 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.”
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Cuomo noted that companies should be able to make the gear without too much difficulty if they have the capability to cut fabric. He vowed to clear any bureaucratic red tape that could slow the process down.
“We need it like now. You know, we’re not talking about two months, three months, four months. We need these materials now. That’s the stress. I understand that. But if you are in the garment manufacturing business, if you have machinery that can cut a pattern. A coverall — you’re not making a fashion-forward fitted garment, right? These are relatively straightforward components. So if you can do it, it’s a business opportunity, it is a state need, it’s a national need. Please contact us. We’ll work with you.”
Several companies have already adjusted their manufacturing to make medical equipment, including cotton masks, N95 masks, face shields, gowns, and ventilators. Other companies outside of the manufacturing industry have also been donating supplies to help aid shortages.
While the U.S. is doing what it can, millions of masks are still being bought from Chinese companies. The coronavirus outbreak started in Wuhan, China, in December, and there has been evidence uncovered by U.S. intelligence officials detailing how the Chinese Communist Party covered up the severity of the outbreak.
