Nurses union to protest at White House Tuesday

[mystery-ak]

Nurses union to protest at White House Tuesday
By John Bowden - 04/20/20 08:22 PM EDT

A national nurses union announced Monday that members of their organization would protest at the White House on Tuesday to demand funding for mass production of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the next coronavirus stimulus package.

National Nurses United (NNU), the largest nurses union in the U.S., said in a press release that members planned to read aloud names of nurses who have died from COVID-19 as hospitals across the country struggle to provide masks, gloves and other equipment for staffers.

"With no federal health and safety standard, nurses and other health care workers in many hospitals across the country have not been provided with adequate PPE to protect them from exposure to the virus," the group said.
A national nurses union announced Monday that members of their organization would protest at the White House on Tuesday to demand funding for mass production of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the next coronavirus stimulus package.

National Nurses United (NNU), the largest nurses union in the U.S., said in a press release that members planned to read aloud names of nurses who have died from COVID-19 as hospitals across the country struggle to provide masks, gloves and other equipment for staffers.

"With no federal health and safety standard, nurses and other health care workers in many hospitals across the country have not been provided with adequate PPE to protect them from exposure to the virus," the group said.
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"NNU is calling on Congress to mandate the [Defense Production Act]’s use to produce the equipment and supplies health care workers need to care for COVID-19 patients as well as to conduct mass testing that is required to control the spread of the virus," it continued.

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https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/493798-nurses-to-protest-at-white-house-tuesday

"NNU is calling on Congress to mandate the [Defense Production Act]’s use to produce the equipment and supplies health care workers need to care for COVID-19 patients as well as to conduct mass testing that is required to control the spread of the virus," it continued.

[libertybele]

??? I thought that Trump already implemented the Defense Production Act -- that's why 3M has ramped up production of masks, GM retooled to manufacture ventilators, etc.  Aren't the governors responsible for ensuring that they have the PPE's, medical equipment, and temporary hospitals if needed?  If I'm not mistaken, governors have direct access to request what is needed from the suppliers and don't have to go through the federal bureaucracy and have been given $$ to do so.  A naval hospital ship was sent to NY -- wasn't that part of the Defense Act?

IMHO, mandating that people shelter in, wasn't just to prevent deaths, but to give the hospitals and medical personnel in each state time to ensure that they would have the needed ventilators, respirators, PPE's etc. once social distancing is relaxed.

Obviously the amount of PPE's in many states are still not sufficient and that is very troubling considering that people are starting to reject further social distancing.