Equipment, including respirators, surgical masks, face shields, gown and gloves have been shipped to Washington and New York. In addition, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will help build medical stations in New York, California and Washington.
This will supply thousands of beds to handle the potential patient demand. USNS Mercy Hospital Ship will dock in Los Angeles, to ease the load on other hospital beds. USNS Comfort, another hospital ship, is on its way to New York.
Coronavirus Crisis: Statistics
As of Sunday, 254,00 people have been tested and gotten results, according to Vice President Mike Pence. This number does not include tests done by local hospitals and local labs. Slightly more than 30,000 of these tested positive. And, 90 percent of those tested were negative. Moreover, more testing kits are on their way to healthcare facilities around the United States and the testing backlog will thereby be significantly reduced.
The administration is urging all commercial labs to prioritize testing, with inpatients getting first priority. U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said inpatients and health care workers will be given highest priority for testing.
Furthermore, new guidance will also be issued for those exposed to a COVID-19 patient, and they can return to work earlier if wearing a mask.
President Trump is also hopeful that he will not have to extend the 15-day “Stop the Spread” effort. This asks to citizens to stay home as much as possible during this time period.
Coronavirus Crisis: The National Guard
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Sunday it will help the hardest-hit states by activating the National Guard under Title 32 of the U.S. Code. The action enables the governors to provide robust national guard support for their states. The Title 32 action allows troops to operate under each state’s governor. It is not martial law.
Meanwhile, disaster declarations were approved for Washington state and New York.