NY County Finds Trump Delivered Not Only 200k Masks He Promised but 50k Extra in Just 2 Days
In New York’s Suffolk County, officials now have 251,200 protective masks for their stockpile — 51,200 more than were promised to the Long Island jurisdiction by President Donald Trump.
The delivery comes after GOP New York Rep. Lee Zeldin and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone looked for “urgent” assistance from the federal government in what’s quickly becoming one of the New York City-area hotspots for coronavirus infections, Patch.com reported.
The county’s stockpile was out of a lot of quite a bit of personal protective equipment, including surgical masks, N95 masks, face shields, gowns and body bags.
Zeldin, head of the Congressional Coronavirus Task Force, had already secured 150,000 surgical masks that were delivered Saturday.
Signed, sealed, delivered-Earlier today, 150,000 surgical masks were delivered to Suffolk County for our great hospital workers & other front line warriors. Tomorrow, 200,000 n95 masks will arrive to Suffolk after the announcement tonight by @realDonaldTrump! One team, one fight! pic.twitter.com/gfN85TNXmX
— Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) April 6, 2020
“Rep. Zeldin quickly received multiple direct offers to help, including one within minutes of his plea from Senior Advisor to the President Jared Kushner,” Zeldin said in a Sunday news release.
“Mr. Kushner informed Congressman Zeldin he was interested in helping Suffolk County secure all PPE needs for the next 30 days.
“Working with Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and his office, Rep. Zeldin sent details of all needed PPE directly to Mr. Kushner last night, and also communicated the details of Suffolk County’s situation directly to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.”
That included a promise of 200,000 masks for Suffolk County. The Trump administration delivered with a bit of extra.
“The President promised Sunday he’d immediately deliver Suffolk County 200,000 N95 masks,” Zeldin tweeted Tuesday.
“The even better news…251,200 N95 masks have arrived to Suffolk PLUS another 100,000 N95 masks for @NorthwellHealth west of Suffolk!”
The President promised Sunday he’d immediately deliver Suffolk County 200,000 N95 masks.
The even better news…251,200 N95 masks have arrived to Suffolk PLUS another 100,000 N95 masks for @NorthwellHealth west of Suffolk!
TY @realDonaldTrump, Jared Kushner & Admiral Polowczyk! https://t.co/Wt3AZlm1XQ pic.twitter.com/Zn31TQ566D
— Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) April 8, 2020
As of Thursday, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center, Suffolk County had 17,008 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 323 deaths.
In an appearance on MSNBC, Bellone called the impact the virus had on his county and Long Island — which has seen over 1,000 deaths — “extraordinary.”
“To think back a month ago, we didn’t have a single confirmed case,” the Suffolk County executive said, according to Newsday.
“Now we have more confirmed cases than every other state in this country except for New York and New Jersey,” Bellone said.
He said the early lack of testing was the problem in tackling it at the beginning.
“We didn’t know about those cases because testing wasn’t available,” Bellone said. “Now the tens of thousands of tests done have revealed the truth: This virus has spread everywhere.”
And even with the masks and the 136 ventilators Suffolk County received, he said, “staffing is really the toughest challenge right now.”
“We have hundreds of health care workers who have contracted the virus,” Bellone said.
“It really brings it home the dangers they are facing,” he added, saying that medical staff are in “the medical equivalent of a war zone.”
On Saturday, Zeldin had put out a call for help.
We have ~25k coronavirus cases in Suffolk/Nassau. Suffolk’s stockpile has NO surgical masks, reg sized n95 masks, gowns, face shields or body bags. Other items are low. We need fellow Americans who can help to PLEASE send us PPE ASAP! Email me at CongressmanZeldin1@mail.house.gov
— Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) April 5, 2020
Well, Trump underpromised, overdelivered and got it there with great response time. Not a bad job.
In his statement on Sunday, Zeldin emphasized the importance of PPE for those on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis.
“We must do everything in our power to ensure our medical professionals, first responders, law enforcement and other essential workers are able to do their jobs while being able to protect their own health, and the health of others, including their precious family members, and I thank President Trump and Jared Kushner for stepping up to the plate for Suffolk County,” Zeldin said.
“We are all in this fight together, and I am encouraged by the Administration’s swift, effective and immediate response to Suffolk County’s urgent need of PPE. I look forward to continuing to work with every level of government from Suffolk County Executive Bellone to the President to continue to deliver for Suffolk County.”
Suffolk, like many places in New York, seems to be flattening the curve. According to RiverheadLOCAL, there were 68 hospitalizations on Wednesday with 130 people discharged from the hospital.
“We will get through this,” Bellone said. And hopefully sooner rather than later.
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