$1b of life-saving PPE held in secret Sydney warehouses
More than $1 billion of life-saving personal protective equipment is being held in secret and secure Sydney warehouses.
NSW Coronavirus News
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More than $1 billion of life-saving personal protective equipment is being held in secret and secure Sydney warehouses.
The NSW government has amassed the stash, and believes that on the back of recent shipments it has now secured enough masks, gowns, gloves, goggles and hand sanitizer to protect the state in the “medium term”.
There are hundreds of millions of pieces of equipment in the stockpile - which are crucial for the operation of intensive care beds as well as many other frontline services.
There are at least five secure warehouses - mostly in Western Sydney - holding the equipment, which has mostly been sourced from overseas as the State government continues to procure more including from local manufacturers.
The stockpile is a critical element in preparing the state to ease restrictions, with NSW electing to form its own crack team to source the material instead of relying exclusively on Canberra, which will also distribute PPE to the states.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the stockpile was a sign the state was fully prepared.
“While NSW has successfully flattened the curve for now, we know the battle against this global pandemic is still a reality and we’re not taking any chances,” the Premier said.
“That’s why we’ve spent almost $1 billion on PPE to ensure our frontline workers have the key safety equipment they need to fight this virus and keep NSW residents safe.”
The Daily Telegraph revealed last month how Sydney 2000 Olympics mastermind Rod McGeoch had orchestrated a sophisticated network of international business contacts to secure equipment from places like China.
This included connections leveraged by neurosurgeon Charlie Teo and Atlassian founder Scott Farquhar.
A string of NSW companies have also registered to supply or produce PPE through the government’s own emergency supplies portal.
Minister for Jobs Stuart Ayres has overseen this strategy, saying hundreds of new suppliers had been identified.
“It has shone a light on the tremendous capacity of NSW companies,” he said.
Businesses who need PPE can also connect with suppliers through the state government’s portal.