California Adding 420 Million More Protective Masks To Its Stockpile

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Governor Gavin Newsom says California is taking action to help strengthen its response to COVID-19 by purchasing more masks.

The governor announced Wednesday that the state is adding to its long-term stockpile life of life-saving personal protective equipment (PPE). He says he has directed the Department of Public Health and Office of Emergency Services to increase the state's stockpile to 100 million N-95 respirators and 200 million surgical masks by early fall in order to account for the potential need given the recent rise in COVID-19 cases. In total, 420 million new protective masks will be purchased.

(credit: Karen Ducey/Getty Images)

READ: Dental Patients Pay Price For PPE As Supplies Run Thin

To date, the state has distributed 86.4 million N-95 respirators and 297 million surgical masks to Californians working on the front lines against COVID-19, according to a statement Wednesday from the governor's office.

Get the app: Download the new CBS Sacramento News app for iOS and Android

The news comes at a critical time for the country's nurses after a recent survey from National Nurses United shows 87% of participating nurses reported having to reuse masks while 72% reported having exposed skin or clothing.

As a result of the shortage, hospitals were being forced to extend the use of N95 masks with nationally set decontamination procedures.

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.