Approximately 91,000 pounds of personal protective equipment from China arrived in New Hampshire on the tarmac of Manchester-Boston Regional Airport on Sunday afternoon.
The shipment consisted of 6.6 million masks, 50,000 face shields and 24,000 Tyvek coveralls, according to Gov. Chris Sununu.
“The state of New Hampshire received a great Easter present this morning,” Sununu said during a press conference at the airport.
The State of New Hampshire purchased the entire $5 million shipment of PPE and will be distributing supplies to “the areas of greatest need across the state,” officials said, like residential care facilities and hospitals. The state will not be charging those that receive shipments.
“One month ago New Hampshire wasn’t even in the business of PPE procurement, and today we secured 45 metric tons of this critical lifesaving equipment for our state,” Sununu said in a statement. “We worked around the clock, scoured the earth, and left no stone unturned to ensure New Hampshire has the resources it needs to combat this pandemic.”
Sununu said the effort was spearheaded by New Hampshire inventor Dean Kamen, creator of the Segway, who called on his connections with manufacturers in Asia and FedEx CEO and founder, Fred Smith.
FedEx’s cargo plane departed Shanghai, China, Saturday night, stopped in Alaska Sunday morning, and landed in Manchester around 3:45 p.m. The equipment will be transported throughout the state by the National Guard. Resources may also be shared with surrounding states, Sununu said.
“We’ve gotten a couple of smaller shipments in, and those are wonderful, but what today is, is truly a jumping-off point, not just for the state, but for all the individuals who can actually start benefiting from getting this PPE,” Sununu said. “We’re going to get it out the door as fast as we can.”