California Will Ship 500 Ventilators to the National Stockpile. That Has Some Riverside Officials Concerned.

Governor Gavin Newsom will send hundreds of ventilators to the national stockpile so they can be used by the hardest-hit states. But the plan has worried some local governments that are still expecting a surge in coronavirus patients.

Riverside County requested 500 ventilators last month, but that request was denied by the state. The county requested an additional 1,000 ventilators on April 1. According to ABC 7, the county “is also putting in a $12 million bid for 330 ventilators, but officials are concerned that FEMA might take possession of the units in an effort to centralize medical resources.”

First District Supervisor Kevin Jeffries said the governor’s decision caught the county off guard. Riverside officials say they did not receive an explanation for why their ventilator requests were denied.

The governor has responded to the concerns. He said the state is only at 31.89% of hospitals’ current ventilator capacity, not counting those ventilators obtained by the state.

For all our sakes, let’s hope it stays that way.