Gov. Wolf pledges $50M toward supplies for virus-battered Pa. hospitals

Megan Guza | Thursday, March 26, 2020 2:53 p.m.

Gov. Tom Wolf on March 19, announcing that all non-life-sustaining business must close their physical locations.

Gov. Tom Wolf said he will spend up to $50 million to get equipment into the hands of medical workers to help fight the continued spread of the coronavirus.

“We’re not fighting a battle here, we’re fighting a war,” Wolf said Thursday. “We need to do everything we can to support our frontline medical workers.”

The funding, transferred from other areas of the state budget, will be under the governor’s control and used if hospitals and health care systems run out of vital supplies, such as ventilators and personal protective equipment.

Wolf said he intends to sign the bill Friday.

“We know our hospitals will face capacity issues,” he said. “We need more beds, we need more ventilators, we need more personal protective equipment and so much more. And we need it as soon as possible because the virus is here.”

The bill was crafted during a remote state Senate session — the first time such a session has been convened, according to Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa.

House and Senate leaders called it a bipartisan effort to help a constituency in crisis.

“As we continue to navigate uncharted waters with covid-19, it is vital that we provide assistance to the health care professionals leading the fight during this public health epidemic,” Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman said. “In Pennsylvania, we worked together to dedicate this money to help those who are waging this extraordinary battle.”