U.S. governors aim to boost medical supply production

Frustrated by scarce supplies and a chaotic marketplace amid the coronavirus outbreak, some U.S. governors are seeking to bolster their home-state production of vital medical and protective equipment to ensure a reliable long-term source for state stockpiles.

The efforts come as states have been competing against each other, the federal government, hospitals, emer- gency responders and even other countries to get items such as N95 masks, gloves, medical gowns and hand sanitizer — often paying higher- than-usual prices because of the high demand.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. got much of its medical supplies from China. But China limited exports earlier this year amid its own fight against the virus, which began there. When the federal stockpile ran short, states that had only minimal supplies were left scrambling to try to buy needed equipment.

“We always hear about overseas — it’s cheaper to do it in China, it’s cheaper to do it in other countries,” Missouri Gov. Mike Parson told The Associated Press. “But one thing we’ve learned about this whole deal is we need to be dependent on ourselves . ... If we can do it here in Missouri, I think it would be well-worth the extra money.”

Governors in Florida, Indiana and Massachusetts — all, like Parson, Republicans — made similar statements last week, as states start to shift from triaging current needs to planning for a potential sec- ond wave of the coronavirus or some unknown future disease. While numerous U.S. companies have shifted production lines temporarily to make needed supplies, some states are looking for a long- term commitment.

The efforts align with a common campaign theme of Republican President Donald Trump, who has railed against American compa- nies that moved jobs overseas. Trump has particularly accused China of unfair trade practices.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, one of Trump’s closest allies, said at a press conference that one of the biggest problems the state faced when trying to obtain personal protective equipment is that much of it was manufactured in China and is slow to arrive.

“All this stuff should be made in the United States and not in China. We don’t want our health destiny rest- ing in the hands of a communist dictatorship,” DeSantis said. “We would certainly welcome any of the manufacturing of the masks, the PPE kits, whatever you are doing. Come to Florida.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said in a statement to the AP that it “always encourages strength- ening local capacity before requesting national assistance.” If states can get per- sonal protective equipment through their own producers or donations, they may not need to request as much from the federal government, FEMA said.

To highlight the need for more local manufacturing, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker toured a plant that has been working with his admin- istration to adjust its textile production lines to make isolation gowns. Though U.S. labor costs remain higher than in many foreign coun- tries, he said the in-state production ultimately could be more affordable.

An AP review of more than 20 states last month found that before the coronavirus outbreak, many had only a modest supply of N95 masks, gowns, gloves and other medical equipment that, in some cases, were well past their expiration dates. The insuf- ficient stockpiles stemmed from a variety of factors — a decline in public health fund- ing, an assumption that more supplies could be quickly obtained when needed and a belief that the federal govern- ment could come to the rescue with its Strategic National Stockpile.

But the federal stockpile also proved insufficient, and states rapidly depleted their reserves.