ATLANTA — Following news on Monday that Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms requested help from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in battling the pandemic, we now know to what extent.
According to a news release from Gov. Cuomo's office, Atlanta will be receiving the following in its initial delivery on Friday:
- 7,500 VTM Test Kits
- 7,500 Gowns
- 7,500 Gloves
- 7,500 N95 Masks
- 7,500 Face Shields
- 2.5 pallets of Styrofoam Coolers
- 1,250 Gallons of Hand Sanitizer
Cuomo announced the state will deploy resources to teams in Atlanta, as well as share expertise on contact tracing and provide technical assistance to support Atlanta's contact tracing program during a joint news conference on Monday.
In a statement, Cuomo said:
"During New York's greatest hour of need, other states sent volunteers, masks and equipment to help us flatten the curve and save lives. We are incredibly grateful to the 30,000 volunteers and donations that came to us during that hell. Now that we have flattened the curve and our numbers are strong, we are paying it forward to places like Atlanta, where Mayor Bottoms has been an aggressive and effective leader fighting this virus. We have people who have been through this and know how to fight COVID-19, and we stand ready to aid states and localities in whatever way we can. Today, on behalf of the family of New York, we will deploy test kits and PPE to Atlanta as they struggle with surging cases."
Mayor Bottoms has recently found herself in a very public disagreement with Georgia's Gov. Brian Kemp over the COVID-19 response, the handling of recent protests and a violent July 4 in the city.
The mayor announced that Atlanta would move back to "Phase 1" in handling COVID-19 - essentially re-closing many businesses to foot traffic once more. She also issued a mandate for masks in the city, essentially defying Kemp's executive order.
Kemp responded that such a move could not be legally enforced ahead of his own statewide order.
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