New York joining East Coast consortium to bulk buy coronavirus supplies

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced that the state will be working with several East Coast states  neighbors to create a regional supply chain for coronavirus equipment – including masks, gowns, ventilators and testing supplies.

“It will make us more competitive in the international marketplace and I believe it will save taxpayers money,” Cuomo said Sunday of the group effort.

Massachusetts, Delaware, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey will join New York in their effort to improve the region’s purchasing power of bulk equipment.

The states hope to find a way to buy local, instead of relying on the Chinese supply chain, amid concerns about it reliability and effort to reduce America's reliance on China for goods. 

The East Coast consortium will also continue working with the federal government to procure valued supplies.

Cuomo also said that from now on, New York hospitals will be required to maintain a 90-day stockpile of masks, gowns, gloves and other personal protection equipment.

Right now, fewer than 10,000 people are hospitalized in New York state with coronavirus, which is the lowest rate in the state since March.

New York has lost over 19,000 residents to the virus, though precise figures have proven difficult to calculate as because some deaths are attributed to the virus without tests confirming the diagnosis.

“The overall direction is good, even though it is very painful,” Cuomo said.