PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon received thousands of masks, scrubs and other gear from the federal government to restock depleted supplies of protective equipment for frontline medical workers Friday.
The U.S. Agency for International Development shipped the gear from a warehouse in Dubai.
The supplies came at a critical time amid the coronavirus outbreak. The state reported earlier Friday that its emergency stockpiles of highly-prized N95 masks and face shields had dwindled to zero.
Nurses at some Oregon hospitals said earlier this month that their hospitals could run out of protective gear within days.
The infusion of new gear means the state now has 150,000 N95 masks and 67,000 face shields to parcel out among hard-hit Oregon counties.
The federal shipment also included 2,500 scrubs pants, 2,000 scrubs tops and 250 coveralls for frontline workers to wear.
Andrew Phelps, who directs the state Office of Emergency Management, said the protective gear will make a “huge difference," although the state will need even more gear to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency had asked USAID to open up its stockpiles to states that desperately needed protective gear. The last time the U.S. needed to import gear from its Dubai warehouse was in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina, the state said.
State workers will inspect all of the gear before it is sent to medical workers.
Phelps said Oregonians can help the state’s supplies last longer by practicing social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19.
More than 1,300 Oregonians have contracted the coronavirus, and 48 of those patients have died, according to the latest state figures.
This article was originally published by The Oregonian/OregonLive, one of more than a dozen news organizations throughout the state sharing their coverage of the novel coronavirus outbreak to help inform Oregonians about this evolving health issue.