BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Gov. Charlie Baker spoke to reporters Sunday morning about the state's efforts to secure more Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for first responders during the coronavirus pandemic.
After attending a Sunday church service that streamed live from the Morning Star Baptist Church in Mattapan, Baker said the state is doing everything it can to acquire the PPE, including having orders out to suppliers across the country and the world.
Baker said the problem is that so does every other state, and the federal government, which he noted last week had been in a bidding war against Massachusetts for those supplies.
"I am hoping and anticipating that the President is going to live up to the commitment that he made to me after I raised this issue with him, where I said 'You can't bid against us if you expect us to go out and buy this stuff,'" Baker said. "And he said the next day that they are in a bid war with states and other entities that don't step back."
The Governor also spoke about his administration's plans to convert buildings like hotels and old nursing homes across the state into 'field hospitals' to help deal with the expected increase in COVID-19 patients.
"One the details are determined and the contractors are in place.... they can put that stuff up in two or three weeks," Baker said.
WBZ NewsRadio's Shari Small (@ShariSmallNews) reports:
(Photo: Getty Images)
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