The governor of New York thanked the Chinese government for facilitating the transfer of 1,000 ventilators which are being donated to the hard-hit state, the current epicentre of the new coronavirus outbreak in the United States.
“This is a big deal, and this is going to make a significant difference for us,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said at a daily briefing on Saturday.
The donation – from Jack Ma and Joseph Tsai, of Alibaba – would arrive later in the day.
The western state of Oregon was also sending 140 ventilators.
Cuomo said the donations were “really good news,” as the state pushes up against the apex of the outbreak, which is likely to hit in about seven days.
“We are not yet at the apex. We are getting closer,” Cuomo said, adding that this was good as it gave the authorities more time to prepare.
The state, like other areas of the U.S., is facing shortages of medical gear, including masks and ventilators.
Cuomo said 113,704 people in New York have tested positive for coronavirus, with 15,000 having been hospitalised.
The state’s death toll reached 3,565, up from 2,935 the previous day, a significant spike.
There are at least 7,163 deaths across the US and 278,568 confirmed cases.
There is sharp criticism of the White House for not better coordinating the supply of medical goods to states, who end up competing with each other on the open market.
President Donald Trump has at times tried to shift blame to the individual states.
