SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The state of California will be sending 500 state-owned ventilators to the national stockpile to help states in need, according to Governor Gavin Newsom.

“California is stepping up to help our fellow Americans in New York and across the country who are being impacted the hardest right now by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Governor Newsom. “We still have a long road ahead of us in the Golden State – and we’re aggressively preparing for a surge – but we can’t turn our back on Americans whose lives depend on having a ventilator now. We’re meeting this moment with compassion. I know that if the tables were turned and we were experiencing a hospital surge, other states would come to our aid and provide ventilators just as we are today.”

The United States currently has more than 338,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to the latest data available from Johns Hopkins University.

For the latest on Governor Newsom's efforts in California, you can visit his office's website here.