Project HOPE, Business Roundtable, and Healthcare Ready Deliver First Wave of Protective Equipment
Over 2 million protective gloves and gowns have arrived in 12 health systems battling the spread of COVID-19 through the Business Roundtable COVID-19 Initiative
As COVID-19 cases continue to spike in cities across the U.S., Project HOPE, Business Roundtable companies, and Healthcare Ready have partnered through the Business Roundtable COVID-19 Initiative to deliver a shipment of 2.3 million pieces of essential personal protective equipment to doctors and nurses on the front lines.
The shipment, which includes 1.5 million gloves and 880,000 gowns, was delivered to 12 locations: California, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania; and the cities of Baltimore, Houston, and New York. Funding was provided by leading U.S. companies who are members of the Business Roundtable.
This first wave of PPE deliveries will be followed by additional deliveries in the coming days and weeks.
While many U.S. health systems have seen case rates lower significantly since April, there are worries that relaxed social distancing measures could cause numbers to rise again, including in some of the hardest-hit places in the country.
While New York was devastated by the virus in April — recording as many as 10,000 new cases of COVID-19 a day at the virus’s peak — New Jersey and Massachusetts also suffered major outbreaks and recorded the nation’s second- and third-highest death rates, respectively.
California, meanwhile, has recorded over 184,000 cases of COVID-19 and 5,500 deaths since the outbreak began, while Illinois has recorded around 138,000 cases and 6,800 deaths.
Now, as cities cautiously begin the process of reopening, many health workers and hospitals are gearing up for a spike in new cases. More than half of U.S. states have seen an increase in their seven-day average of new reported cases.
Project HOPE, Business Roundtable, and Healthcare Ready began their partnership in April to deliver essential PPE to American health workers across the country. Donating companies include Rockwell Automation, Alliant Energy, Borg Warner, Lockheed Martin Inc., Micron Technology, NY Life Insurance Co., NRG Energy Inc., Synchrony Bank, CHUBB, Vistra Energy, ADP, Pitney Bowes, S&P Global, Worldwide Technology, and NextEra Energy.
“These contributions are the latest example of a concerted effort by Business Roundtable CEOs to address health care supply shortages during the COVID-19 epidemic,” said Joshua Bolten, Business Roundtable President and CEO. “We are grateful for the infrastructure Project HOPE and Healthcare Ready have in place that will procure and distribute these supplies to help Americans who need them most.”
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