April 1, 2020 4:00 a.m.
The State of Oregon is expecting a shipment of personal protective equipment Wednesday from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
A release from the Oregon Office of Emergency Management said personnel at the PPE distribution center in Wilsonville will begin processing and shipping those supplies to all 36 counties and 9 tribes in Oregon.
Andrew Phelps, director of the OEM said that having an adequate supply of PPE, including masks, gowns and gloves, “is essential for the safety of first responders and health care workers”. Phelps said there is currently a global shortage, but Oregon is working to replenish the supplies of PPE through public and private partnerships to ensure that health care workers and first responders are protected.
As of Tuesday, the state of Oregon has distributed:
*Over 1 million gloves
*10,000 face shields
*Over 400,000 N95 masks
*Over 50,000 surgical masks
OEM’s Emergency Coordination Center plans to ship PPE to each county and to Oregon’s 9 tribes, for allocation. Counties are expected to receive shipments by next Tuesday.