Page 4 - AT Sept 3 2020

A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 3 sepTember 2020
HHS canceling ventilator contracts, says stockpile is full

By MICHAEL BIESECKER to deliver 10,000 basic
Associated Press emergency ventilators to
WASHINGTON (AP) — The the national stockpile by
Trump administration is can- 2022 at a cost of about
celing some of its remain- $3,280 each. But once the
ing orders for ventilators, COVID pandemic hit, the
after rushing to sign nearly company inked a new deal
$3 billion in emergency with the Trump administra-
contracts as the COVID-19 tion to provide 43,000 of
pandemic surged in the its more complicated and
spring. expensive hospital-grade
The Department of Health models at an average cost
and Human Services issued of about $15,000 each.
a statement Tuesday affirm- The company has said it still
ing that the national stock- plans to deliver the 10,000
pile has now reached its low-cost ventilators over
maximum capacity for the the next two years under its
life-saving breathing ma- earlier contract.
chines, with nearly 120,000 House Democrats said they
available for deployment would expand their probe
to state and local health into the White House's han-
officials if needed. Though dling of the Phillips con-
the orders were billed as a tract, which they said was
cost-saving measure, Dem- In this May 13, 2020, file photo, a ventilator is assembled at the Ford Rawsonville plant in Ypsilanti negotiated by Trump trade
ocrats said the cancella- Township, Mich. Associated Press adviser Peter Navarro.
tions show the White House "American taxpayers de-
vastly overspent in its quest an estimate for how much An agency spokesperson "formal reason" for the can- serve to have their money
to fulfill President Donald taxpayers would save by declined to comment on cellation. well spent," said Rep. Raja
Trump's pledge to make canceling the contracts the status of its largest ven- "Unlike typically in the pri- Krishnamoorthi, chairman
the United States the "King because the terms and tilator contract, a massive vate sector, the U.S. gov- of the House Subcommit-
of Ventilators." potential penalties for the $647 million deal with Philips ernment does not need tee on Economic and Con-
"By terminating the remain- early terminations were still that is now the subject of any reason to terminate an sumer Policy. "Incompetent
der of deliveries from these being negotiated with the an internal HHS investiga- agreement," Klink said. "We negotiations by top Trump
contracts, HHS is balancing companies involved. tion and legal review. can confidently say that Administration officials, like
federal stockpile require- HHS confirmed it was ter- But Steve Klink, a spokes- we have delivered on our Peter Navarro, wasted hun-
ments with commercial minating contracts with man for Philips at the com- commitments. While we dreds of millions of taxpay-
market demand for ventila- ventilator manufactur- pany's headquarters in Am- are disappointed in light of er dollars."
tors," said Carol Danko, an ers Hamilton Medical and sterdam, confirmed that our massive efforts, we will White House deputy press
agency spokesperson. "As Vyaire Medical, which will its contract had also been work with HHS to effectu- secretary Sarah Matthews
a result, HHS is saving the result in the reduction of canceled and that it will ate the partial termination said Navarro "played a vi-
U.S. taxpayer millions of dol- 38,000 ventilators that had not deliver the remaining of this contract." tal role in our coronavirus
lars by halting delivery of been scheduled for deliv- 30,700 ventilators on its or- The Philips contract has response" by helping over-
additional ventilators that ery to the National Strate- der to the U.S. stockpile. been under scrutiny be- see federal contracts that
are no longer required." gic Stockpile by the end of Klink said HHS had not yet cause the company had helped create thousands
The agency didn't have 2020. given the company any signed a 2019 agreement of jobs.q

COVID-19 death tied to Sturgis Rally reported in Minnesota

The death is the first report- Minnesota Department of rally created a travel hub
ed that is possibly linked Health, said health officials in western South Dakota
to the biker rally that drew have also seen infections comparable to a major
hundreds of thousands of spread from people who U.S. city, according to an
people. Infections among attended Sturgis, but those analysis of anonymous cell-
rallygoers have been re- infections weren't included phone data from Camber
ported among 269 people in the state's count of Stur- Systems, a firm that aggre-
in 12 states spanning coast gis-linked infections, which gates cellphone activity
to coast, according to a stood at 50 on Wednesday. for health researchers. The
survey from the Associated She said people who at- researches found that 61%
Press. The rally went for- tended the rally have re- of all the counties in the U.S.
ward despite fears it could ported moving between have been visited by some-
become a super-spread events, campgrounds and one who attended Sturgis.
event, with South Dakota indoor and outdoor spac- South Dakota has seen the
Gov. Kristi Noem welcom- es. bulk of cases tied to the
In this Aug. 7, 2020 file photo, people congregate at One-Eyed ing bikers and the tourist The man who died in Min- rally, with the Department
Jack's Saloon during the 80th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in dollars they spend. nesota was in his 60s, had of Health reporting 105 tied
Sturgis, S.D. Rallygoers crowded into underlying health condi- to the rally. The city of Stur-
Associated Press bars and rock shows, most- tions and was hospitalized gis made coronavirus tests
By STEPHEN GROVES cycle Rally in South Da- ly ignoring social distanc- before he died, according available to residents and
Associated Press kota last month has died ing recommendations. Few to Ehresmann. city employees after the ral-
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A from COVID-19, Minnesota wore masks. The Washington Post first re- ly in an attempt to uncover
Minnesota man who at- health officials reported on Kris Ehresmann, infectious- ported the death. people who had infections
tended the Sturgis Motor- Wednesday. disease director at the For 10 days in August, the but no symptoms.q