So far, after initial outbreaks on the West Coast, New York City has ended up one of the hardest hit areas in the country from the Coronavirus outbreak. As of 6 P.M. local time on Saturday evening, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office reported that the city had 8,115 confirmed cases, 60 deaths, and at least 1,450 people hospitalized specifically because of the Coronavirus. During an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union this weekend, New York City-area Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) insisted that the president and federal government need to act now to help beef up supplies before it’s too late and people start dying in even larger numbers.
Latest #COVID numbers from @NYCMayor's office, as of 6 p.m.:
– 8,115 positive cases
– 60 fatalities.– 2,484 in Brooklyn
– 2,254 in Queens
– 1,868 in Manhattan
– 1,071 in the Bronx
– 437 on Staten Island.– at least 1,450 people hospitalized, at least 370 in the ICU.
— katie honan (@katie_honan) March 22, 2020
Mentioning that she has “several major hospitals” in her district, Ocasio-Cortez explained:
‘One of the things that we’re hearing over and over again from hospitals is again this point of personal protective equipment. There are not enough face masks, gloves, ventilators, hospital beds to get us through this. Many hospitals are already at capacity or approaching capacity, and there is kind of no real stream in sight from the federal government on where these materials are coming from.’
Recently, Trump claimed that the federal government had made a huge order of 500 million masks — but the detail quickly came out that the order could take up to 18 months to be fulfilled, which is obviously long after they’d be needed.
Trump just ordered 500 million masks. It will take 18 months for them to be delivered.
Which made me recall how shocked I was leaving the Administration's first congressional briefing on Coronavirus on Feb. 5.
I tweeted this as I walked out. https://t.co/mRVJgxsHjF
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) March 19, 2020
He’s been urged to invoke the Defense Production Act to order to much more swift production of urgently needed medical supplies, but he’s declined to do so — although he’s offered shifting answers to the question.
FEMA administrator Pete Gaynor says Pres. Trump hasn’t enforced the Defense Production Act to order companies to manufacture masks, ventilators and other critical supplies because companies are donating equipment. “It’s happening without using that lever.” #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/2KYfE4ccHw
— State of the Union (@CNNSotu) March 22, 2020
Ocasio-Cortez insisted:
‘The fact that the president has not really invoked the Defense Production Act for the purpose of emergency manufacture is going to cost lives.’
FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor suggested that the act wasn’t needed because private companies were stepping up, but the Congresswoman insisted that’s simply not enough.
She explained:
‘It is absolutely needed. We’re thankful to anyone who is pitching in on this effort, but we are nowhere near the beds and the capacity that we need in this country. We’re hearing it every step of the way from this administration — first we were hearing that it was a hoax, and then we were hearing that everything was fine, then we were hearing that the fundamentals of the economy were okay — until the crash comes. And we can not wait until people start really dying in large numbers to start production… We need to start this production right now to get ready for the surge that is coming in two to three weeks.’
Watch:
“We cannot wait until people start really dying in large numbers … we need to start this production right now to get ready for the surge that is coming in two to three weeks.” -Rep. @AOC reacts to Pres. Trump not enforcing the Defense Production Act. #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/sENJMXfHkC
— State of the Union (@CNNSotu) March 22, 2020
The case count in the U.S. has been spiking significantly for days, and the death toll could soon start growing even more significantly as well as the cases progress. Italy, where the virus has been spreading longer than the U.S., has faced astronomical death tolls that have yet to decrease substantially. Over 4,800 Italians have died from the Coronavirus.
Ocasio-Cortez’s warning echoes comments from the NYC mayor himself, who’s insisted that the president needs to act. Meanwhile, Trump is simply continuing to flounder.
. @NYCMayor says April and May will "get a lot worse" in the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The president will not lift a finger to help his hometown. … I can't be blunt enough: If the president does not act, people will die who could have lived otherwise." #MTP #IfItsSunday
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) March 22, 2020