California Loans 500 Ventilators To Worse-Hit States: Coronavirus

CALIFORNIA — The state of California will loan 500 of its own ventilators to the Strategic National Stockpile inventory, allowing them to be used by New York and other states with more severe outbreaks of the new coronavirus, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday.

The move follows similar decisions Sunday by Oregon and Washington state, where Gov. Jay Inslee announced his state would send 400 of its ventilators to other places, including New York.

At a news conference Monday afternoon, Newsom said the state chose to send the ventilators to the national stockpile to let federal officials redeploy them wherever they are most needed.

"In times of crisis, it’s more important than ever we are the UNITED States of America," Newsom said in a tweet Monday morning. "CA is answering the call for Americans in NY and across the country, loaning 500 state-owned ventilators to those in need. I know, if the tables were turned, other states would be there for us."

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As of last week, California had access to more than 4,200 ventilators and planned to increase that number by fixing broken machines and procuring thousands more from other sources, NBC reported.

Still, the worst of California's expected surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations has not yet arrived, and Newsom said Monday that the state has continued expanding its hospital capacity to treat the future patients.

Newsom spoke Monday from Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, formerly home of the Sacramento Kings, which is now being repurposed as a field hospital. Newsom said more than 4,600 beds have already been secured across the state at shuttered hospitals and alternative care sites like the arena — part of the state's effort to grow its hospital capacity by 50,000 beds beyond its current capacity of 75,000.

The state's anticipated peak for COVID-19 may stretch into mid-May, Newsom said Monday.

Full coronavirus coverage: California Coronavirus: Latest Updates On Cases, Orders, Closures