DIRE

U.S. Mayors Say They Have Shortage of Coronavirus Masks, Protective Equipment

Leaders of more than 200 cities said they needed 28.5 million face masks, 7.9 million test kits, and 24.4 million items of personal protective equipment.

Almost 90 percent of mayors across the country said they lacked tests kits, face masks, and personal protective equipment for medical personnel during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a national survey published Friday by The Washington Post. The U.S. Conference of Mayors survey, which included 213 cities in 41 states and Puerto Rico, also found that 85 percent of cities said they did not have enough ventilators for their hospitals. The lack of supplies had “reached crisis proportions,” the report claimed. “Despite their best efforts, most cities do not have and cannot obtain adequate equipment and supplies needed to protect their residents,” it read, adding that the federal government needed to help cities protect the “first line of defense” against the coronavirus. While a higher percentage of large cities reportedly said they had received supplies from their state, almost two thirds of cities said they had not received assistance from their states. The cities estimated that they needed 28.5 million face masks, 7.9 million test kits, 24.4 million items of personal protective equipment, and 139,000 ventilators. On Thursday, President Trump said he “felt” that most states didn’t need the medical equipment they were begging for.