HARRISBURG – Gov. Tom Wolf on Monday urged Pennsylvania manufacturers that currently are producing or can pivot to producing COVID-19-related supplies to submit their information to the newly-developed Pennsylvania Manufacturing Call to Action Portal.
“We’re asking everyone to do their part to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, including ensuring that our health care system is prepared to care for patients and that there is access to critical personal protective equipment and products as more individuals and businesses take preventive measures,” Wolf said.
“Throughout our commonwealth’s history, our manufacturing sector has answered the call to move us forward and contributed tremendously in times of turbulence. I call upon our private sector to be a part of the solution to this crisis.”
He said the portal will identify businesses’ critical supply chain capabilities, needs, workforce gaps and innovative opportunities.
He said reporting this important information and identifying both abilities and needs will help facilitate the connections businesses need to get critical COVID-19-related products to market or retrofit their operations to begin production of those products.
This manufacturing portal, Wolf said, builds on the recent creation of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Critical Medical Supplies Procurement Portal to source the most needed supplies for medical providers, emergency responders and health care professionals.
“We must take every step to protect our health care workers and frontline responders from COVID-19, and provide them with the necessary equipment to help patients,” he said.
“We cannot rely on the federal government alone to provide us with necessary equipment. We must tap our own valuable resources, including our manufacturing sector, to help our health care workers save Pennsylvanians’ lives.”
The portal was a joint effort of DCED, the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association, the Pennsylvania Chemical Industry Council, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, IRC Network, Life Sciences PA, Pennsylvania Life Sciences Greenhouses and the PA Chamber of Business and Industry.
“As we work to protect public health and safety and create a robust supply chain, we know that there are manufacturers across the commonwealth who are willing and able to help,” Wolf said.
“The portal will bring these manufacturers together to work as a team to help us get the equipment we need.”
While hospitals have not yet experienced a surge of COVID-19 patients, he said Pennsylvania is taking additional steps to ensure that its health care system has access to critical equipment, as the number of positive cases of the virus rises daily.
He said Pennsylvania has requested 1,000 ventilators from the Strategic National Stockpile but at this time the request is on hold due to the current availability of ventilators in Pennsylvania.
He said the state has procured and is awaiting receipt of 400 additional ventilators from a private vendor. The commonwealth has also requested N95 masks, ventilators, gowns, gloves, goggles and face shields and have received several shipments from the national stockpile.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health continues to work with federal partners, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Questions about the Pennsylvania Manufacturing Call to Action Portal can be directed to RA-DCEDPAMCTAP@pa.gov.
For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, Pennsylvanians should visit: https://www.pa.gov/guides/responding-to-covid-19/.