Gov. Cooper Says NC Doesn’t Have “Enough” PPE to Reopen. But Wake County Has a 3-Month Supply.

Gov. Cooper has repeatedly said work can’t begin to reopen the economy until the federal government sends more PPE

But Wake County told the press they have a 3-month supply

Raleigh, N.C. — Governor Roy Cooper has repeatedly said in his press conferences that North Carolina has a shortage of personal protective equipment, and the economy can’t safely begin to reopen until the Trump Administration sends more.

But Wake County officials told ABC 11 that they have a 3-month supply of PPE and the county “does not currently have a shortage of PPE.” Wake County is the second largest county in North Carolina.

From ABC 11: “‘Wake County does not currently have a shortage of PPE,’ a representative told ABC11. ‘At its current usage rate, the field sampling team has more than 11 weeks of PPE available.’”

It is not known how much of a supply other counties have because the Cooper Administration has not released data. The Cooper Administration has also not specified how much PPE it needs.

Senator Paul Newton (R-Cabarrus) said, “Gov. Cooper has embraced secrecy, not transparency, during this pandemic. He needs to immediately answer how much PPE North Carolina currently has and how much he thinks North Carolina needs. ‘More’ is not an acceptable answer. Lives and livelihoods are at stake.”