With the federal stockpile dwindling fast, and the Trump administration limiting access to what’s left, state leaders are going to extraordinary measures on their own to secure faces masks, ventilators, gloves and other equipment essential to fighting the outbreak. They’ve ventured into a global marketplace one governor described as the “wild, wild, West,” only to compete against each other and their own federal government. And the White House made clear this week that Trump views the federal stockpile as a “backup” for the states. Many governors have been complaining for weeks that they have not received the shipments they requested from the nation’s supply. “Much of what you’re hearing is true in terms of it being the wild wild West out there,” Newsom said.

Source: Huffington Post April 04, 2020 15:11 UTC