Florida appears to be the only state getting all its federal coronavirus equipment requests met

Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Many states have requested ventilators, N95 face masks, gowns, face shields, and other essential equipment from the federal emergency stockpile as their hospitals prepare for or struggle under a surge of COVID-19 cases, but only Florida has gotten 100 percent of what it asked for, The Washington Post reported Sunday. Massachusetts said it has received 17 percent of its requested protective gear while Maine has gotten about 5 percent and West Virginia about 1 percent.

But Florida, which didn't make its first request until March 11 — later than many other states — received its full request three days later, then got an identical shipment on March 23 and is expecting a third, the Post reports, citing the state Division of Emergency Management. "This disparity has not been lost on the states that feel shortchanged in their requests from the Strategic National Stockpile," ProPublica reported a week ago. Florida officials and President Trump offered a similar explanation for what appears to be special service.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.