Part of the battle for local health officials in monitoring the coronavirus is getting enough testing and personal protective equipment for health care workers.
The Spokane Regional Health District relies almost exclusively on the state Department of Health for its supplies.
Health Officer Bob Lutz says that supply chain has been somewhat spotty. But he hit the motherlode last week with a shipment of about 125-thousand KN-95 masks.
“We also got like two pallets of all the Clorox wipes, sani wipes, all those types of things. That’s not PPE, necessarily, but it’s definitely reinforcing materials for hygiene and sanitation. We are definitely, right now, fat with that, which is great. We’re trying to figure out how to allocate that," Lutz said.
Lutz hopes the supply chain will continue through the fall and winter, including flu season.
He says the health district has been a little less successful with collecting Covid test supplies, but other health care providers are sharing that duty and buying from other sources.