Governor provides briefing on California’s response to COVID-19
Businesses across California step up to help Californians address COVID-19
SUNNYVALE, CA — Yesterday, Governor Gavin Newson and San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo toured the Bloom Energy ventilator refurbishing site in Sunnyvale. Through a partnership with the state, Bloom Energy has transformed its production facility to quickly refurbish life-saving ventilators to provide California with the critical equipment it needs to prepare for a potential surge in COVID-19 patients.
Bloom Energy is among the many businesses partnering with the state to assist Californians as COVID-19 continues to spread.
“Across our state, companies big and small are stepping up to meet this moment, and assist our efforts to respond to this crisis,” said Governor Newsom. “California has always been a leader in innovation, and to see this innovation and these incredible resources being used to ensure the people on the front lines of COVID-19 have the resources they need to save lives embodies California’s giving spirit.”
Pictured above: Governor Newsom, Mayor Liccardo and Bloom Energy CEO KR Sridhar visit ventilator refurbishing site in Sunnyvale
At the onset of the pandemic, California had approximately 7,500 ventilators across its hospital systems. The state set a goal of adding an additional 10,000 ventilators. To date, the state has added 4,252 ventilators, approximately 1,000 of which needed to be refurbished. Through a partnership with the state, Bloom Energy is working to refurbish ventilators in real time. Yesterday, Bloom Energy refurbished 80 ventilators and it expects to refurbish an additional 120 ventilators today.
After Los Angeles received 170 ventilators from the federal stockpile that weren’t working, California quickly got a truck yesterday to deliver them to Bloom Energy for repair. They are due to be returned to Los Angeles on Monday, fully functional
Additionally, more than 350 businesses and manufacturers in California reached out to offer to re-tool their facilities to make medical supplies and essential products during this crisis. Some of them include The Gap and St. John Knits making masks, gowns and scrubs for hospital workers; and Anheuser-Busch and other distilleries pivoting operations to produce hand sanitizer for California food banks and vulnerable seniors.
Video of Governor Newsom and Mayor Liccardo providing an update on California’s response to COVID-19 is available here.