Coronavirus News: NJ Governor Murphy on 'This Week' says ventilators are 'number one need'
NEW JERSEY (WABC) -- Although New Jersey received a shipment of 120,000 new N95 masks and 1,000 medical beds from the federal stockpile, state Governor Phil Murphy was still adamant about the need for more personal protective equipment for hospitals.
"We've shutdown elective surgery, so we're getting equipment from that." Murphy told Martha Raddatz during an interview on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos." "But we're still way short."
The governor reiterated the state has a long way to go, and that ventilators are the main priority right now.
"We had a very specific conversation with the White House last night about ventilators," he said. "That's our number one ask. It's our number one need, and that's the one that we are focused most on right now.
Murphy said New Jersey has a long way to go on the PPE front, but have made progress in other areas than they have on ventilators.
The White House is listening and trying to work with New Jersey, according to Murphy.
"We're trying to find common ground 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Murphy said. "And then we had a very specific conversation about our asks and the potential to perhaps phase that in as they can deliver. We need them though. There's no question about it."
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