With California Now Leading Nation in COVID-19 Cases, Newsom Announces New Mask Contract

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday announced a new state contract with Chinese manufacturer BYD to purchase 120 million N95 masks and 300 million surgical masks.

California's previous $1 billion contract with BYD drew scrutiny when its N95 masks were initially denied federal certification.

Newsom defended his administration's efforts to procure protective gear and vowed to maintain a stockpile of 300 million masks as California's hospitals increasingly feel the strain of the surging pandemic.

"Our PPE (personal protective equipment) strategy has been a success," he said at a midday briefing. "Our PPE strategy was predicated on the lack of a national strategy."

Newsom also acknowledged the grim milestone California reached Wednesday in its months-long battle against the spread of the coronavirus, as a daily high of reported COVID-19 cases pushed the state past New York for the highest case count.

“Not highest per capita, not highest in that respect, but nonetheless a sober reminder of why we are taking things as seriously as we are,” he said.

Newsom said the state's climbing cases can't only be attributed to the widespread testing now being conducted throughout the state; the percentage of tests coming back positive, or positivity rate, also continues to increase, he noted, averaging 7.4% over the last two weeks.

Meanwhile, in the last 24 hours, 115 Californians died of COVID-19.

“It’s just another reminder, if I need to remind anybody, of the magnitude of impact this virus continues to have," Newsom said.

The governor also responded to criticism that some masks already purchased by the state and sent to counties and hospitals haven't yet made their way to nurses and health care workers.

"I want to make sure those masks are going to our frontline workers," Newsom said, promising "more aggressive protocols of accountability."

— Guy Marzorati (@GuyMarzorati)