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Newsom: More masks procured, plan for a surge in hospitalizations
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday stood in front of a stack of masks and protective gear, touting California's need to distribute this gear and prepare for a surge in hospitalizations as the Golden State topped New York for the most coronavirus cases in the nation.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday stood in front of a stack of masks and protective gear, touting California's need to distribute this gear and prepare for a surge in hospitalizations as the Golden State topped New York for the most coronavirus cases in the nation.
Because there has been no national plan to procure the masks, Newsom said California didn't "lament" or "point fingers" at the Trump administration. He even congratulated President Trump for starting to wear a mask.
Instead, Newsom said the state has procured several contracts with PPE companies, saying that just one of these contracts procured 146 million N95 masks. He mentioned another contract with a Santa Clara company for another 40 million masks. He also said he spoke with the CEO of Honeywell about “opening a California-based facility” to make masks in the state.
"As we open the economy, we need to maintain the level of safety and level of confidence" for healthcare workers, Newsom said.
It was the governor’s first briefing since new numbers showed Wednesday that California’s confirmed coronavirus cases topped 409,000, surpassing New York for most in the nation.
John’s Hopkins University data showed California, which is the most populous state in the nation, had about 1,200 more cases than New York.
In New York, the rate of confirmed infections of about 2,100 per 100,000 people is twice California’s rate.