US Conference of Mayors – “The survey described in this report illustrates the scope and severity of the need for COVID-19 emergency equipment in this nation’s cities.  It shows that, despite their best efforts, most cities do not have and cannot obtain adequate equipment and supplies needed to protect their residents.  This is a life-threatening crisis that will continue unless the federal government does everything in its power to help us safeguard our first responders and health care workers – our first line of defense – and the millions of other public servants in our cities whose work today puts them at risk.

• 91.5% (192) of the cities do not have an adequate supply of face masks for their first responders (including police, fire, and EMTs) and medical personnel.
• 88.2% (186) do not have an adequate supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) other than face masks to protect these workers.
• 92.1% (186) do not have an adequate supply of test kits.
• 85% (164) do not have an adequate supply of ventilators for use by health facilities in their city or area.
• 62.4% (131) have not received emergency equipment or supplies from their State.
• Of those receiving help from their State, 84.6% (66) say it is not adequate to meet their needs.

For emergency equipment, analysis of these responses by city size found little variation from largest to smallest cities in the percentages of adequacy of supplies. While a somewhat higher percentage of larger cities reported receiving equipment and supplies from their State, cities reporting inadequacy of these supplies did not vary by size. Across the survey cities able to provide estimates, needed are:

• 5 million face masks;
• 4 million PPE items;
• 9 million test kits; and
• 139,000 ventilators.”