We’ve heard governors in state after state all but begging for much needed equipment for healthcare workers and patients to fight the coronavirus. Then we read one passage in a Washington Post story that we found worth noting.
The piece is about the desperation state officials are feeling as they try to obtain supplies from the federal stockpile. Massachusetts has received 17 percent of what it requested, Maine just 5 percent, and the shipment sent to Colorado was only enough for “one full day of operations,” according to the Post. We’ve also heard public pleadings from the governors in Washington, Michigan and Louisiana.
But the situation in Florida is much different. The Post writes:
The state submitted a request on March 11 for 430,000 surgical masks, 180,000 N95 respirators, 82,000 face shields and 238,000 gloves, among other supplies — and received a shipment with everything three days later, according to figures from the state’s Division of Emergency Management. It received an identical shipment on March 23, according to the division, and is awaiting a third.
“The governor has spoken to the president daily, and the entire congressional delegation has been working as one for the betterment of the state of Florida,” said Jared Moskowitz, the emergency management division’s director. “We are leaving no stone unturned.”
President Trump repeatedly has warned states not to complain about how much they are receiving, including Friday during a White House briefing, where he advised Vice President Pence not to call governors who are critical of the administration’s response. “I want them to be appreciative,” he said.
It should be noted that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is a close ally of Trump. And the President officially declared himself a resident of the state last October.