New York CIty Council Member Ben Kallos

Gothamist NYC Stockpiles Nearly $1 Billion Worth Of PPE As Second COVID-19 Wave Looms by David Cruz

NYC Stockpiles Nearly $1 Billion Worth Of PPE As Second COVID-19 Wave Looms

And despite the volume of PPE presented, the city's reserve remains insufficient, according to Manhattan City Councilmember Ben Kallos, who chairs the council's contracts committee.

"Mayor de Blasio needs to be honest with New Yorkers about the status of our stockpile," Kallos told Gothamist/WNYC. "I'm just upset that they put this out without putting it in the context of what their goal is."

Kallos said that an administrator with the city Health Department testified at a City Council hearing last month that 13.5 million N95 masks are needed to keep the supply from running out.

"They're claiming victory with 9.3 million masks, which is only enough for 60 days when we know we faced shortages last time," Kallos said.

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