Why California says it can afford to lend 500 ventilators to other states

Gov. Gavin Newsom defended on Thursday his decision to send 500 ventilators this week to the national stockpile, saying California won't need the machines for weeks and should in the meantime help states with more dire and immediate coronavirus demands.

“Some people have expressed some concern about California's willingness to extend a hand to New Jersey, New York, Illinois, D.C., to Maryland, to Nevada and to other states across this country by lending ventilators to deal with the crisis at hand in those states,” Newsom said during his daily COVID-19 press conference. “We thought it was the right thing to do, but I also want you to know it was the responsible thing to do as American citizens, from a moral and ethical imperative, to save lives.”

Newsom's administration has worked with the hospital systems and private companies to refurbish, build and acquire new and donated ventilators, an effort that the governor said put California in the position to be able to lend the 500 machines.

A month ago, California had 7,587 ventilators within the 416 hospitals. Newsom said that capacity has now increased to 11,747 ventilators.

Hospitals are currently using 31 percent of all the ventilators in their system, leaving more than 8,000 available, Newsom explained. He said that ventilators differ from personal protective equipment because they can be used more than once.

The state still is seeking to obtain about 10,000 additional ventilators by mid-May, according to the administration's predictions, part of “Phase One” of its coronavirus planning. After that, an additional 20,000 could be needed, Newsom's office estimates.

The governor also said the state has “pre-positioned” ventilators regionally, so when local hospitals need them, they are already in place.

But Newsom said California's curve “is not bending like other states,” and that there's time to spare before the Golden State will need the machines returned.

“We have stretched our curve, giving us a little more time,” Newsom said. “But we can't just sit on assets, when we can save lives and help our fellow Americans.”

Newsom also announced on Thursday a handful of opportunities for health care workers on the front lines of the pandemic.

Health care employees will receive vouchers and stipends, some 100 percent refundable, for more than 150 hotels so they can quarantine and self-isolate while caring for COVID-19 patients or after they've been exposed to the virus.

Four airlines - United, Southwest, Delta and Alaska - have also offered free flights to California for those selected from the 86,516 people who've applied for the state's new Health Corps.

Newsom also said this week the state would invest $1.4 billion to obtain 200 million masks a month for California health care workers, grocery store employees and other essential personnel are more protected against the virus.

He said the state is working “in real time” to send the equipment out.