DETROIT – General Motors in partnership with Ventec Life Systems will begin delivering critical care ventilators in April and produce more than 10,000 a month, GM announced on Twitter Friday.

The critical care ventilators will be produced at GM’s Kokomo facility. GM says retooling is already underway.

Hospitals around the nation are experiencing a shortage of ventilators amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The medical equipment is essential to making sure all patients with the virus receive adequate medical care and survive.

The United States currently has the most reported coronavirus cases in the world outranking all other countries. As of Friday, the US had more than 92,000 confirmed coronavirus cases.

The United Auto Workers released a statement on GM’s role in helping Americans through the growing health crisis.

“We are happy to work with GM during this pandemic for the health and safety and good of our Nation as we collaborate towards the production of ventilators. The UAW has a proud history of stepping up in times of national emergency. General Motors should be commended for stepping up at a crucial moment in our history. At the UAW we are - all in - to find ways to partner together to flatten this curve and save lives,” the union’s statement read.

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