Connecticut and New York are joining with five other northeastern states to develop a regional supply chain for personal protective equipment (PPE), other medical equipment and testing.
While the states ”“ which include New Jersey, Massachusetts, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island ”“ will continue to partner with the federal government during the COVID-19 crisis, they will also work together to identify the entire region”™s needs for the supplies, aggregate demand among the states, reduce costs and stabilize the supply chain.
The states will also coordinate policies regarding the inventory of PPE that each state”™s health care infrastructure will need to prepare for a possible second wave of the virus.
In addition, the states will coordinate policies on what supplies local governments should have on hand for their first responders and if any requirements regarding PPE for the nonprofit and private sector are needed.
The coalition plans to buy about $5 billion worth of equipment and supplies.
“With global supply chains continuing to experience a major disruption due to the pandemic, combining the efforts of our states into a regional purchasing initiative will help our states obtain needed PPE and other medical equipment without competing against each other,” Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said.
“I”™ve long been advocating for the federal government to get involved,” he added, “because pitting all 50 states against each other to compete for these supplies has never made any sense. Partnering with our neighbors helps make our purchasing power stronger and more dependable.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic created a mad scramble for medical equipment across the entire nation,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. “There was competition among states, private entities and the federal government, and we were driving up the prices of these critical resources. As a state and as a nation we can”™t go through that again.”
