New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Saturday that China is facilitating the shipment of 1,000 ventilators to his state, as he continues to shop for more of the life-saving devices ahead of a growing number of coronavirus patients who will need them.

We finally got some good news today.



The Chinese government helped facilitate a donation of 1,000 ventilators that will arrive in JFK today.



I thank the Chinese government, Jack Ma, Joe Tsai, the Jack Ma Foundation, the Tsai Foundation and Consul General Huang. — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) April 4, 2020

The number of people infected in the US has exceeded a quarter-million, with the death toll climbing past 7,000; more than 3,500 of those deaths are in New York state. Cuomo said the ventilators from China were expected to arrive Saturday.

The Chinese government and billionaires Jack Ma and Joseph Tsai, the co-founders of the online marketplace Alibaba, facilitated the shipment. Alibaba is the owner of the South China Morning Post.

This is a big deal and it’s going to make a significant difference for us, Cuomo said, adding that the state of Oregon is also sending 140 ventilators to New York.

Cuomo is also looking for ventilators closer to home and has issued an order that forces even private hospitals in the state to redistribute ventilators to the hospitals most in need.

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