New York is extending some help to Florida after the state experienced a massive surge in coronavirus cases last week. N.Y. Governor Andrew Cuomo is sending a day's supply of Remdesivir to aid coronavirus patients in recovering while the state waits for further supply from the federal government.
On July 4, Saturday, alone, almost 12,000 new cases were recorded. The tally was said to be more than any European country's daily peak at the pinnacle of the outbreak.
New York's aid comes one day after Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis said he didn't need any help, as he said it was nothing the state was interested in.
In a press release on Friday, Cuomo announced that he would deploy Remdesivir to help Florida care for its patients. He adds that New Yorkers will stand by their fellow Americans as they fight COVID-19 together.
Cuomo said his gesture was part of showing his gratitude as other states also came to their aid when earlier this year New York had been the epicentre of the outbreak in the U.S. He says that they were incredibly moved by the generosity of the states that stepped up to provide supplies and medical personnel during their time of need.
The package containing remdesivir will treat about 280 patients and is expected to last through Saturday when a federal shipment is expected to arrive, according to Cuomo. Furthermore, he also made a few offers to other states struggling with outbreaks of COVID-19 on Wednesday.
Florida: No Help Needed Here
During a press conference on Saturday, Gov. DeSantis dismissed Gov. Cuomo's proposal, saying no help was needed. He mentioned that someone reached out to them offering ventilators. "Just so you know, we've got 6,000 ventilators just idly sitting around." He says they don't necessarily need them.
DeSantis has repeatedly been taking jabs at Cuomo for how he handles the coronavirus outbreak in New York. He particularly criticized his decision to force nursing homes to accept infected patients during the early stages of the pandemic.
DeSantis has reported personally securing an additional supply of remdesivir from the government on Friday. On Saturday, he announced that their hospitals would be receiving an additional 427 cases of the drug from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). He made no mention of New York.
Remdesivir for COVID-19 Patients
Democratic members of Florida's congressional delegation sent a letter to Alex Azar, the HHS Secretary, earlier this week. They were asking the administration to dispatch new shipments of remdesivir as the state's supply have been used up.
HHS said it had "secured" 500,000 supplementary treatment courses to last through September. However, insurers and hospitals will now be charged for the drug. After September, HHS will no longer have a role in the drug's distribution.
Remdesivir is the only drug so far that has shown to be effective in treating COVID-19 patients. Gilead Sciences, the drug's manufacturer, donated an initial supply to HHS to be allocated to hospitals. That supply was exhausted by the end of June.
Gilead had set the price for remdesivir at $3,120 for the full treatment course, or $520 per vial for patients with private insurance. It was reported that some government insurance programs would offer the drug at a lower price of $390 per vial, or $2,340 per treatment course.
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