After Elon Musk said on Twitter that he and Tesla could start making ventilators to assist hospitals, Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City took Musk up on his offer.

De Blasio said that "New York City is buying!" and that the city would be reaching out to Musk directly.

Musk said on Twitter that ventilators would not be difficult for Tesla and his other company SpaceX to produce, and he asked which hospitals were facing shortages.

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Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City is taking up Elon Musk on his offer to produce ventilators to assist hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic.

Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, said in a tweet Wednesday that "we will make ventilators if there is a shortage" and asked which hospitals were facing shortages. As coronavirus cases rise in the US, hospitals could soon run out of ventilators used to support people experiencing respiratory problems from the virus.

Nate Silver, the editor-in-chief of FiveThirtyEight, had pointed out on Twitter that New York and Seattle were in need of ventilators.

De Blasio replied: "New York City is buying! Our country is facing a drastic shortage and we need ventilators ASAP — we will need thousands in this city over the next few weeks. We're getting them as fast as we can but we could use your help! We're reaching out to you directly."

—Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) March 19, 2020

"Tesla makes cars with sophisticated hvac systems," Musk had said, responding to Silver. "SpaceX makes spacecraft with life support systems. Ventilators are not difficult, but cannot be produced instantly."

He later told de Blasio that he would "connect with your team to understand potential needs."

Tesla and SpaceX did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

All American automakers have faced the prospect of shutting down factories amid the coronavirus pandemic. Other carmakers in addition to Tesla have expressed interest in producing ventilators instead.