Governor Jay Inslee is asking all manufacturers to volunteer to make the personal protective equipment (PPE) that doctors, nurses, and emergency responders need to keep themselves safe.
"We distribute equipment as we receive it from the federal government," Inslee said during an afternoon press conference today, "but we know that what we have done so far is not enough. We urgently need to increase the stocks of personal protection equipment."
Washington is home to incredible businesses. Now, we need you in this fight to beat COVID-19 .
Our nurses, doctors and first responders need PPE.
If you can manufacture any of these items, Washington needs you.
âĄď¸ https://t.co/J2ClsjI4m2 https://t.co/ZV71XO9iXU pic.twitter.com/pTJue5mDe6
â Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) April 1, 2020
Unfortunately, the federal stockpile of PPE, as the Washington Post has reported, is drying up. Inslee doesn't "have a window into the national stockpile," but said that President Donald Trump has not heeded his request to activate the Defense Production Act to mobilize manufacturers nationwide to create more PPE.
"We canât depend on being rescued here. Weâve got to do self-rescue," Inslee said.
So, if you can do that, you are encouraged to go here and enlist to manufacture PPE. At today's press conference it was revealed that some 60 or so businesses have already switched gears and are making lots of PPE.