“That’s the spirit of California.”
-Governor Gavin Newsom
On Saturday, CA Governor Gavin Newsom claimed the federal government sent “170 ventilators that came from the national stockpile directly” to Los Angeles county that were “not working.” But, he added, “rather than pointing fingers,” authorities in California transported the ventilators to a facility to get them fixed by San Jose-based Bloom Energy.
Newsom said the broken ventilators arrived at the facility on Saturday morning and he expects the ventilators will be functioning and back in Los Angeles on Monday. “That’s the spirit of California,” Newsom said.
From Governor Newsom’s statement:
“Across our state, companies big and small are stepping up to meet this moment, and assist our efforts to respond to this crisis,” said Governor Newsom. “California has always been a leader in innovation, and to see this innovation and these incredible resources being used to ensure the people on the front lines of COVID-19 have the resources they need to save lives embodies California’s giving spirit.
After Los Angeles received 170 ventilators from the federal stockpile that weren’t working, California quickly got a truck yesterday to deliver them to Bloom Energy for repair. They are due to be returned to Los Angeles on Monday, fully functional.”
More than 350 businesses and manufacturers in California reached out to offer to re-tool their facilities to make medical supplies and essential products during this crisis. Some of them include The Gap and St. John Knits making masks, gowns and scrubs for hospital workers; and Anheuser-Busch and other distilleries pivoting operations to produce hand sanitizer for California food banks and vulnerable seniors.
