MI Hospitals Low On Protective Equipment Amid Coronavirus Battle

MICHIGAN — Several Detroit-area hospitals are running dangerously low on personal protective equipment, and Governor Gretchen Whitmer is urging residents to follow the stay-at-home order to prevent further spread of the coronavirus.

At a news briefing Monday morning, Whitmer said that several hospitals in the Detroit area are running low on surgical masks and other items. Whitmer said Beaumont Health and Henry Ford Hospital will run out of N95 respirator masks in about three to four days.

Both hospitals, as well as the Detroit Medical Center are about three days away from running out of face shields, and all area hospitals are less than 10 days away from running out of other PPE, such as surgical gowns.

"We must continue to do more," she said.

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The governor commended organizations such as FEMA for donations to southeast Michigan, where the combination of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties has comprised 80 percent of the state's confirmed coronavirus cases. Whitmer said she expects FEMA to be donating 1.1 million surgical masks, 300 ventilators, 2 million gloves and 232,000 face shields to area hospitals.

Whitmer also teased that she may extend the stay at home order within the next week, but did not say how long that extension might be.

"The most effective tool we have right now as our hospitals are overwhelmed and we don't have enough PPE is to slow the spread of the virus," she said.

Whitmer also spoke on unemployment numbers, explaining the rate of new claims has now outpaced even the worst week of the Great Recession. From March 22-28, there were more than 300,000 new claims filed in Michigan. Despite the system overload, Whitmer told residents, "We will get to you," referring to those who've unsuccessfully tried to file.

The most recent data for Michigan, released Sunday and indicative of information as of 10 a.m. Sunday, show the state has more than 15,700 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. The data also shows more than 600 deaths.

New numbers are expected to be released Monday afternoon.