NEW YORK (AP) — With coronavirus deaths climbing rapidly in New York, the governor says he'll use his authority to take ventilators and protective gear from private hospitals and companies that aren't using them.

The decision Friday is one of the most aggressive steps yet in the U.S. to relieve severe shortages of equipment needed to fight the scourge.

Medical workers in the U.S. and Europe are watching supplies of medicine, protective equipment and breathing machines dwindle by the hour.

It comes as the coronavirus outbreak has snapped the United States' record-breaking hiring streak of nearly 10 years.