New York City public health officials issued a warning over the weekend that some hospitals may run out of coronavirus test swabs.
In a memo to health care providers, the New York City Department of Health stated that only hospitalized patients with symptoms should be tested in order to preserve swabs.
“As the swab supply continues to decline, there is a real possibility hospitals will completely run out,” the memo states.
Swabs aren’t the only material running low. The memo indicates that the “supply of personal protective equipment remains tenuous.”
The memo does not address how the department plans to obtain more test swabs.
New York City is not the only city struggling to procure supplies. Hot spots like California have also announced shortages of supplies in hospitals, including face masks, the Los Angeles Times reports.
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