NYC wasted nearly $28M worth of COVID supplies that are now expired

[Kamaji]

NYC wasted nearly $28M worth of COVID supplies that are now expired

By Nolan Hicks
February 24, 2023

City officials acknowledged Friday that millions of dollars worth of COVID-19 tests and hand sanitizer ordered to supply a desperate Big Apple during the height of the pandemic sat unused for months, have since expired and now will be trashed.

The Department of Citywide Services revealed that $14.1 million worth of supplies from a larger tranche valued at $58.8 million had already been tossed after expiring — while an additional $13.7 million was set to be thrown out as well.

Those losses are in addition to the nearly $225 million worth of gear — including $12 million in ventilators — that have been auctioned off for a paltry $500,000.

“Dedicated public servants did heroic work obtaining COVID supplies during the pandemic,” DCAS spokesman Nick Benson told The Post. “Supplies were purchased to meet potential worst-case scenarios, and fortunately the city had ample supplies, helping us save lives and beat back the surge, instead of falling short.”

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Source:  https://nypost.com/2023/02/24/nyc-wasted-59m-worth-of-covid-supplies-that-expired/

[Smokin Joe]

So how much did the City actually use?

Wasn't New York crying for ventilators when they had 15000 on the shelf?

[Timber Rattler]

So I guess storing this stuff for the next big outbreak or pandemic never crossed their minds?  Those "expiration dates" are bogus, meant to generate new sales in the future.

No lessons learned from COVID, obviously.