PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — In an effort to help New York–the state with the most cases of coronavirus in the country–Oregon governor Kate Brown has ordered the delivery of 140 ventilators to the Empire State.
Governor Andrew Cuomo confirmed the “gift” on Saturday from New York, where the virus has killed more than 2,900 people.
“Governor Brown made the decision to send 140 ventilators to help save the lives of New York’s critical COVID-19 patients, because Oregon is in a better position right now,” Governor Brown’s office said in a statement released Saturday. “
“New York is the current epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States,” the release further stated. “Their hospitals are at full capacity. At this stage in Oregon, our social distancing measures are helping to ensure that our hospitals have enough ventilators for our current number of COVID-19 patients. If Oregon later finds itself in need of ventilators, New York and other states will respond to our call for assistance.”
Brown’s statement concluded by saying Oregon still doesn’t have everything it needs to fight COVID-19, but it was in the unique position to respond to New York’s call for ventilators.
More than 102,000 confirmed cases have put a stranglehold on New York; the majority of reported cases are from New York City.
The state of Oregon is sending 140 ventilators to NY.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) April 4, 2020
We are so grateful to @OregonGovBrown and the people of Oregon.
On behalf of the people of NY, I thank you and rest assured that NY will repay the favor when Oregon needs it.
“This is a big deal and it’s going to make a significant difference for us,” the governor said Saturday.
Cuomo thanked Oregon’s governor Kate Brown in a Tweet saying his state will “repay the favor when Oregon needs it.”
New York needs more ventilators, and we are answering their call for help.
— Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) April 4, 2020
We'll be sending 140 ventilators to help NY because Oregon is in a better position right now. We must do all that we can to help those on the front lines of this response.
Oregon doesn't have everything we need to fight COVID-19 — we need more PPE and testing — but we can help today with ventilators. We are all in this together.
— Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) April 4, 2020
New York will also receive 1,000 ventilators from China. The Chinese government and billionaires Jack Ma and Joseph Tsai, the co-founders of the online marketplace Alibaba, facilitated the batch of ventilators and were due to arrive Saturday.
