NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday that New York City is becoming self-sufficient in producing PPE critical to battling COVID-19.
He said the city is now self-sufficient in producing face shields, announcing that eight companies citywide are producing 240,000 face shields per week with the goal of eventually producing 620,000 per week.
Additionally, de Blasio said that five New York City-based companies are producing 30,000 surgical gowns per week with the goal of eventually producing 250,000 per week.
De Blasio said the city is a building a new supply chain to produce up to 50,000 tests per week. Additionally, 50,000 test kits will be purchased per week from Indiana-based company Aria Diagnostic.
In total. this will allow New York City to bring in 100,000 tests kits per week.
"Still, this does not let the federal government off the hook," de Blasio said.
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