Tacoma says it needs more masks, ventilators to fight coronavirus
Tacoma does not have an adequate supply of face masks, personal protective equipment or ventilators, the city has told a national U.S. Conference of Mayors survey.
The city said it has received supplies or equipment from the state, but it needs more.
Asked if it had adequate supplies on hand and where it could get them, Tacoma reported it had a “limited supply on hand” and was coordinating among different departments for supplies.
Other items the city said it may need included goggles for eye protection and hand sanitizer wipes. The survey was sent to cities on March 20, and the deadline for responses was Tuesday.
Cities across the nation echoed its concerns. The mayors’ group surveyed 213 cities from 41 states and Puerto Rico about COVID-19 emergency equipment across the country.
“The survey makes clear that the shortage of such essential items has reached crisis proportions and that the safety of city residents, healthcare workers, first responders and other city workers is being seriously compromised,” said a statement from the mayors.
Pierce County has reported 317 positive cases, including 36 on Sunday, out of 5,299 tested by the University of Washington virology lab and the state Public Health Laboratories since the crisis started. Six county residents have died.
Sunday, Gov. Jay Inslee told CNN’s “State of the Union” that Washington badly needs more testing kits. Tacoma told the survey it had adequate testing kits.
But around the state, Inslee said, more are needed.
“Things as simple as the swabs. When the little vials—when you put the swab in it to send it to the lab, it needs a particular medium in it to preserve it. We just do not have those simple things,” Inslee said.
The survey showed that Washington is not alone in needing supplies. Among its findings:
▪ 91.5% (192) of the cities lack an adequate supply of face masks for their first responders, such as police, fire and EMT personnel, and medical personnel.
▪ 88.2% (186) lack an adequate supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) other than face masks.
▪ 92.1% (186) do not have an adequate supply of test kits.
▪ 85% (164) are without an adequate supply of ventilators for use by health facilities in their city or area.
▪ Of those receiving help from their state, 84.6% (66), including Tacoma, say it is not adequate to meet their needs.
Many city officials said they’re concerned about personnel in addition to the first responders, including employees involved in public transit, public works, sanitation/solid waste, water/wastewater, code enforcement, building inspection/maintenance, community services, homeless assistance, public housing, food distribution, corrections, elections, decontamination/cleanup, childcare, and many other areas.
This story was originally published March 30, 2020 at 3:16 PM with the headline "Tacoma says it needs more masks, ventilators to fight coronavirus."
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