Hospitals across Los Angeles County can soon expect to receive about a quarter million N95 masks as the Sheriff’s Department worked on delivering a shipment to a medical supply hub in Long Beach Monday, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said.
From there, the masks will be distributed to medical centers, the sheriff said.
Additionally, about 125,000 masks have been transferred to the Los Angeles Police Department, and more are being delivered to other local police departments and first responders, according to the sheriff.
Villanueva shared news of the shipment as medical supply demands are rising with the number of COVID-19 cases reported accross Southern California.
Earlier in March, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced federal approval of a request to access N95 masks from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s emergency reserves of 21 million masks.
The Sheriff’s Department, which has not confirmed any coronavirus cases among its deputies, said it has deployed deputies in areas such as crowded grocery stories.
The agency’s efforts during the outbreak also include reducing the population among inmates within its jail system.
Meanwhile, LAPD has reported eight cases among its officers. The department was expected to cancel officers’ vacations and deploy them on 12-hour shifts as locals remain under a countywide “safer-at-home” order.