Bucks Co. Gets Big Medical Supply Shipment To Fight Coronavirus

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — Bucks County on Wednesday received a large shipment of medical supplies that will help first responders, medical workers and others fight the spread of the new coronavirus.

About 21,000 N-95 masks, 21,000 surgical masks, 1,700 face shields, 1,600 surgical gowns and thousands of protective gloves arrived at the county's emergency operations center in Ivyland, according to Emergency Services Director Scott Forster.

The deliveries came on a day when the county announced 55 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total reported in Bucks to 373. Of those, 32 patients are hospitalized, including 10 in critical condition., said Dr. David Damsker, director of the Bucks County Department of Health.

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The supplies will be distributed to police departments, emergency medical services, hospitals, long-term care facilities and others, Forster said.

"By the end of this week, these supplies will be in their hands," Forster said.

He said another 10,000 N-95 masks, 2,800 face shields, 8,000 gowns and hundreds of cases of gloves are expected to arrive in the next few days, followed next week by 10,000 more N-95 masks and additional cleaning supplies.

"These are materials that are very hard to get, and were obtained only after calling dozens of vendors," as well as the state and federal government officials, Forster said. "And little by little, everyone has come through to provide us with the equipment that our folks need to be sure that they’re safe while they take care of our residents."

All of the N-95 masks that arrived in Bucks County on Wednesday came from the federal government's Strategic National Stockpile, as did about half of the surgical masks. The rest were bought with county funds, about 75 percent of which Forster said should be eligible for reimbursement.

Forster said the supplies should make sure Bucks County workers are well supplied for now.

"Unfortunately, in the coming weeks we are going to see an increase in our cases and the number of people we have to take care of," he said.

He said the county also has been evaluating two unused medical facilities in Upper and Lower Bucks County to serve as medical surge facilities if needed.

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