Concord, NH — Today, Governor Chris Sununu, Dean Kamen, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, and state officials unloaded approximately 91,000 pounds of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from a FedEx cargo plane on the tarmac of Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.
The FedEx cargo plane departed Shanghai, China, last night, and arrived in New Hampshire at 3:39 PM EST after passing through United States Customs in Anchorage, Alaska early this morning.
The New Hampshire State Police are escorting FedEx and National Guard trucks loaded with the PPE, which has been purchased by the State of New Hampshire, for assortment and inventory by Health and Human Service officials ahead of distribution to the areas of greatest need across the state. Officials will distribute the supplies as early as Tuesday. The state will not be charging those that receive shipments.
By the numbers:
- 6,140 boxes of PPE
- 24,000 coveralls and Tyveks suits
- 50,000 faceshields
- 6.6 million masks
“One month ago New Hampshire wasn’t even in the business of PPE procurement, and today we secured over 91,000 pounds of this critical lifesaving equipment for our state,” said Governor Chris Sununu. “We worked around the clock, scoured the earth, and left no stone unturned to ensure New Hampshire has the resources it needs to combat this pandemic. Huge thanks to Dean Kamen for facilitating this effort. The state leveraged Dean’s expertise and connections on the ground in China, who helped us find a supplier and get these supplies in the air.”
“This plane is delivering lifesaving personal protective equipment which will be immediately distributed to the brave Granite Staters who are on the frontlines of this crisis,” said Shaheen. “I congratulate and thank Dean Kamen for spearheading this heroic effort. Our State has not been receiving the PPE it needs and is running dangerously low on supplies. Thanks to Dean Kamen’s leadership, we are all a little safer today. This pandemic will continue to require all of us to sacrifice and think outside the box, and I’m tremendously grateful to all the Granite Staters who are rising to this challenge.”
“This major shipment of personal protective equipment will help save lives and make a huge difference for our state,” said Senator Hassan. “We passed the CARES Act to ensure that supplies like these could get to the frontlines, and I want to thank Dean Kamen for his round-the-clock efforts to deliver these supplies to New Hampshire. While today’s shipment is great news, it’s essential that the administration addresses ongoing supply chain issues and ramps up the production and distribution of vital medical supplies. I’ll keep working with Governor Sununu and our Congressional delegation to get our state the supplies that we need to confront this pandemic.”
