New York City will receive more than 1.9 million surgical gowns delivered from Vietnam to help frontline workers fight the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a press briefing on Thursday
NEW YORK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th April, 2020) New York City will receive more than 1.9 million surgical gowns delivered from Vietnam to help frontline workers fight the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a press briefing on Thursday.
"Over a million gowns are now on the way as we speak to the city," de Blasio said. "Another 900,000 will be on their way."
De Blasio said the so-called BCI Brands fashion group had earlier reached out to the city regarding its sister-company in Vietnam, capable of producing a large number of protective gowns. To make the delivery from the Southeast Asian country possible, New York City had to engage Boeing 747 cargo aircraft.
The mayor pointed out that thanks to the partnership, there will be enough surgical gowns in the city until the middle of May. De Blasio also said that he had purchased an additional three million gowns that are currently being produced.
"We are sending fabric to the factory in Vietnam so they can make even more," de Blasio added.
New York City became the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States. According to the New York State Department of Health, at least 164,841 people have tested positive for the virus in the city, and 18,015 have died statewide.
