BOSTON (WHDH) - Massachusetts is joining a regional partnership to protect healthcare workers as the state prepares to start enforcing the public to wear face coverings.
The Bay State is partnering with New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Connecticut to purchase $5 billion of personal protective equipment and supplies.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the seven-state Northeast Consortium on Sunday.
“That will then increase our market power when we’re buying,” Cuomo said. “And we will buy as a consortium, price as a consortium, for PPE equipment, ventilators, medical equipment, whatever we need to buy.”
In a statement, Gov. Charlie Baker said, “Massachusetts looks forward to working with other states to identify more options for PPE procurements for our health care workers and public safety personnel.”
Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh described the difficulties of keeping testing kits and supplies stocked to CNN.
“I don’t think any city or town or state in the country quite understands where they stand right now and where they move out of this,” Walsh said, adding cooperation is essential. “It’s very complicated, I can’t imagine being in a state where the governors and mayors are on different pages making things more complicated.”
The consortium is being formed as Massachusetts residents prepare for a statewide face mask order to go into effect Wednesday. Walsh says he expects to see faces covered both inside and outside.
“We’re gonna be figuring out this week how we’re going to enforce that, so we’re still taking a lot of precautions here,” Walsh said.
Anyone not wearing a face covering within six feet of others will face a fine up to $300.
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