California loans 500 ventilators to New York, other areas in immediate need amid coronavirus

SACRAMENTO —  Recognizing that states like New York are experiencing immediate supply shortages as a result of coronavirus, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday that California would help meet this moment by loaning 500 state-owned ventilators to the Strategic National Stockpile inventory.

“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,” said Newsom. “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.”

California continues to prepare for a possible COVID-19 surge. The state is securing thousands of beds in alternative care facilities, protecting the homeless, purchasing critical medical equipment and launching new programs like the Health Corps to recruit healthcare professionals.

California is bracing for another spike in coronavirus deaths this week, with the total number of confirmed cases topping 15,000.

The toll has been particularly somber in Los Angeles County, which reported 28 deaths Saturday, the largest one-day increase since the coronavirus pandemic began. Los Angeles County on Sunday announced 15 additional deaths, raising the total to more than 130.

But California’s numbers have been nowhere as bad as those in New York, which has recorded more than 4,000 deaths.