Pennsylvania is "far more prepared to fight COVID-19" than it was just six months ago, said Governor Tom Wolf Monday as he thanked workers and businesses that have stepped up to help supply the state with personal protective equipment.
"We've learned and accomplished a great deal in the 6 short months that have passed," said the Governor.
The Governor highlighted efforts the state has made to form a portal of businesses across the state that can generate PPE for frontline workers. He said the efforts have helped Pennsylvania "to make sure that we're ready for the next phase of whatever this disease hands us."
"At the very beginning of the pandemic it was evident that we needed to make definitive, or take definitive, steps to acquire, manufacture personal protective equipment or PPE as we could not solely rely on the existing systems to adequately supply all that we would need for such a long and complex response," said the director of PEMA, Randy Padfield who told FOX43 the state has now stockpiled more equipment than it had over the first 6 months of the pandemic.
"Today we continue to acquire and store PPE to better prepare for a resurgence and we're in a much better position to respond," said Padfield.
The Governor and PEMA director spoke at Americhem in Lower Swatara Township. The Governor stressed the importance of PPE for essential workers, saying they put themselves at risk for 'us.'
"We had a staggering response actually from the business community, manufacturers in the business community retooled their production processes to create more PPE," said Padfield.
FOX43 reached out to local hospitals to ask about the current stockpile of PPE. Read their responses below:
WELLSPAN HEALTH
"We have adequate personal protective equipment in supply across our health system to meet our existing patient care needs. Over the past several months our supply chain team has worked diligently to increase our supply of PPE. Those efforts continue as we keep the safety of our patients and staff our top priority." - Matt Heckel, Senior Media Relations & Communications Specialist – York County, WellSpan Health
UPMC
"UPMC has a strong supply chain system in place to ensure we are receiving an adequate supply of personal protective equipment, such as masks, gloves, and gowns. We keep a rotating stockpile in several secure locations. We are closely tracking our allocation of these supplies to our facilities to make sure they have what they need but that none is being wasted." - Kendall Marcocci, UPMC Pinnacle Marketing & Communications
Thanks again,
Kendall
Kendall Marcocci I UPMC Pinnacle Marketing & Communications
