New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Thanks Rihanna For Donation Of Personal Protective Equipment
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Thursday publicly thanked Rihanna for her donation of personal protective equipment to the state. New York is currently the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.
“I want to thank @rihanna and the Rihanna Foundation for donating Personal Protective Equipment to New York State,” he tweeted on Thursday. “We’re so appreciative of your help and that of so many others who have stepped up.”
As of Friday, New York reported more than 44,600 cases of COVID-19 with the state’s death toll reaching 519. Cuomo warned this week that New York hospitals will likely become overwhelmed, amid his plea for 30,000 ventilators for the state to treat the expected influx of patients infected with the novel coronavirus.
Photographs of nurses at New York City’s Mount Sinai West wearing garbage bags over their gear made the rounds on social media this week, as some nurses at the hospital complained about a lack of personal protective equipment. Kious Kelly, a 48-year-old assistant nurse supervisor at the hospital who tested positive for COVID-19, died this week.
I want to thank @rihanna and the Rihanna Foundation for donating Personal Protective Equipment to New York State.
We're so appreciative of your help and that of so many others who have stepped up.
5/5— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 26, 2020
In a Twitter thread on Thursday, Cuomo also extended gratitude to companies, organizations and government departments for donating various supplies.
“The generosity of these companies, organizations and individuals — and many others coming forward every day to offer support — will play a critical role in our mission to bolster our hospital surge capacity, support frontline workers and get people the help they need,” Cuomo said in a statement.
New York is fighting a war against this virus and we need all the help we can get.
On behalf of the family of New York, I'm deeply grateful to:
-@BollandBranch for hospital mattresses
-@Restore_Global for coveralls
-@Facebook and @Loreal for hand sanitizer
1/5— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 26, 2020
Thank you to:
-@SuburbanPropane for propane services
-@GoldmanSachs for masks
-@Wayfair for mattresses, linens, sheets & pillows for field hospitals
-@Walmart for use of parking lots & store facilities infrastructure
-@Keurig/@drpepper for coffee/beverages for volunteers
2/5— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 26, 2020
Thank you to:
-@Niagara_Water for bottles of water
-@AmnealPharma for Hydroxychloroquine
-Long Island Ambulatory Surgery Center for a ventilator
-@Uniqlo for masks
-@Corning Life Sciences for centrifuge tubes and cryovials
-@NBCUniversal for medical supplies and PPE
3/5— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 26, 2020
Thank you to:
-The Office of @NewYorkStateAG for protective masks and gloves
-The Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities in NY (@CICU) for ventilators and PPE
-JUDY for N-95 masks
-@Huawei for N-95 masks, isolation gowns, medical goggles and gloves
4/5— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 26, 2020
Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation announced on Saturday that it had donated $5 million to various organizations assisting with coronavirus relief efforts, including Feeding America, Direct Relief, Partners in Health, The World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and the International Rescue Committee.
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