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Florida asks federal government to send additional resources to areas highly-impacted by COVID-19

Posted at 9:44 PM, Mar 17, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-17 21:44:13-04

The Florida Division of Emergency Management announced that at the Governor’s direction, FDEM Director Jared Moskowitz is ordering additional supplies and personal protective equipment in an effort to mitigate and contain the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

Moskowitz requested the following supplies through Direct Federal Assistance:

  • 5 mobile intensive care units
  • 5,000 ventilators
  • 5,000 hospital beds
  • 50,000 two oz. bottles of hand sanitizer
  • 250,000 coveralls
  • 500,000 gloves
  • 500,000 gowns
  • 500,000 collection kits
  • 100,000 16 oz. bottles of hand sanitizers
  • 150,000 Personal Protective Equipment kits, including coveralls, gowns, and goggles
  • 2 million N95 face masks

Supplies will be delivered on a rolling basis, and inventory is being distributed throughout the state 24-hours a day.

Three field hospitals are being deployed:

  • One field hospital is currently staged in Orlando and can be deployed to other areas in the state as needed.
  • One field hospital is on its way to Broward County and will be set up there.
  • One field hospital is on its way to Ocala and will be staged there and deployed to other areas as needed.
  • Moskowitz is also working with the federal government to determine if there is capacity to add US Navy Mercy-Class ships at Florida ports.

Mobile COVID-19 testing is also being implemented, and the National Guard is deployed in Broward County and on standby to assist throughout the state as necessary.

This is a developing story.