WASHINGTON - An emergency stockpile of medical equipment maintained by the US government has nearly run out of protective gear that could be useful to combat the coronavirus pandemic, according to two officials with the US Department of Homeland Security.
But states across the country have called on the federal government in recent weeks to send them large quantities of gear to help hospitals deal with surging cases of Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus. US President Donald Trump contested the idea that the stockpile was"empty" during a White House news conference, saying that equipment was going directly to those in need - a more efficient process.
Fema spokeswoman Lizzie Litzow said the agency knew in its planning for the virus that the stockpile alone would not meet the needs of states, adding the federal government would"exhaust all means" to find supplies. In addition to protective gear, more than 8,000 ventilators had been distributed from the stockpile, according to Fema.
It's not much of an emergency stockpile if it can't even last a year. The US has over 4000 nuclear warheads. Having more than you'll ever need... Now THAT'S a stockpile.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
US pension funds may pour US$400 billion into stocks, lifting virus-hit markets -JP MorganU.S. pension funds that delayed rebalancing their portfolios are likely to pump about US$400 billion into stocks over the next two quarters, ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
First N95 medical mask imports finally reaching USThe first N95 medical masks to reach the U.S. since February are arriving by plane and ship this week, with trucks standing ready to speed them to coronavirus hot spots around the country. In recent days, 24 pallets of the masks arrived at the port of Los Angeles, sent from a 3M factory in Singapore
Source: YahooSG - 🏆 3. / 71 Read more »
Global coronavirus deaths mount as US surpasses China's official tollMADRID: More than 40,000 people have been killed in the coronavirus pandemic as the disease barrels across the globe, with the US bracing for its ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
US unemployment offices sitting on mountain of pending claimsLast week's record-setting US jobless claims number will be quickly surpassed, economists and state officials predict, as local labour offices ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
US authorities weigh advising everyone to wear a maskWASHINGTON (NYTIMES) - Should healthy people be wearing masks when they're outside to protect themselves and others?. Read more at straitstimes.com. Should Singapore also consider wearing of standard surgical mask and not N95 which medical staff requires?
Source: The Straits Times - 🏆 8. / 63 Read more »
Coronavirus hits hundreds of US police amid protective gear shortagesNEW YORK: When nine police officers showed up to make an arrest near Melrose Avenue in the Bronx last Wednesday, none wore a mask or gloves to ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »