In a March 20 address, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told healthcare facilities the state would buy any ventilators they are not using.
"Ventilators are to this war what missiles were to World War II," Mr. Cuomo said.
He said state-regulated health facilities are being ordered to make any excess ventilators available to the state health department. The facilities can either lend the ventilators to the health department or the department would buy them, he said.
Mr. Cuomo asked all health facilities in the state that have ventilators to call the New York Health Department.