Trump accuses US health care workers ‘in numerous places’ of hoarding surgical masks

Are they going out the back door?’: Trump suggests health care workers in New York and ‘numerous other places’ are STEALING medical masks and sparks outrage because nurses are ‘putting their lives on the line’

  • President Donald Trump suggested US healthcare workers may be hoarding surgical masks during the coronavirus outbreak
  • The president said requests for masks at a New York hospital have typically been 10,000 to 20,000, but that now they have jumped to 300,000
  • He acknowledged that during the outbreak, ‘this is different.’ However, he still urged reporters at the briefing to investigate
  • He also expanded on his comment to say that the masks were disappearing in ‘numerous places’  
  • His comments immediately sparked an outcry online from people who said the president was accusing the nation’s health care workers of stealing
  • Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?

President Donald Trump during a wild and free-wheeling media briefing that lasted 90 minutes on Sunday and where he clearly was agitated at times during the historic press conference, suggested US health care workers were hoarding surgical masks.  

Trump from the White House Rose Garden urged reporters at the briefing to investigate New York hospitals, saying typical requests for masks have gone dramatically up.

‘How do you go from 10,000 to 20,000 masks to 300,000?’ he asked.

Trump acknowledged that ‘even though this is different’ referring to the coronavirus outbreak, that reporters at the briefing ‘ought to look into it.’ 

He then expanded on his comments to suggest masks were disappearing in ‘numerous places.’ 

President Donald Trump during a wild and free-wheeling media briefing at the White House that lasted 90 minutes on Sunday

Trump, clearly agitated at times during the historic press conference, suggested US health care workers were hoarding surgical masks

Trump, clearly agitated at times during the historic press conference, suggested US health care workers were hoarding surgical masks

The president suggested a New York hospital saw requests for masks jump from 10,000 to 20,000 to 300,000 and urged reporters at the briefing to investigate. He also expanded on his remarks saying masks were disappearing in 'numerous places'

The president suggested a New York hospital saw requests for masks jump from 10,000 to 20,000 to 300,000 and urged reporters at the briefing to investigate. He also expanded on his remarks saying masks were disappearing in ‘numerous places’

‘Where are the masks going? Are they going out the back door?’ Trump asked at the briefing.  

The president’s remarks sparked an outcry online from outraged people who said Trump was accusing health care workers of stealing.

Kaivan Shroff tweeted that ‘Trump just attacked nurses putting their lives on the line – accusing them of a consirpacy to steal masks. Truly vile.’

Shroff also posted an image of Kious Kelly, an assistant nurse manager who had just died from the virus. 

Kaivan Shroff tweeted that 'Trump just attacked nurses putting their lives on the line - accusing them of a consirpacy to steal masks. Truly vile.' Shroff also posted an image of Kious Kelly, an assistant nurse manager who had just died from the virus

Kaivan Shroff tweeted that ‘Trump just attacked nurses putting their lives on the line – accusing them of a consirpacy to steal masks. Truly vile.’ Shroff also posted an image of Kious Kelly, an assistant nurse manager who had just died from the virus

Brett Edkins, political director at Stand Up America, a progressive, nonprofit group formed to challenge the president on his policy decisions, tweeted his partner was a New York City doctor and blasted Trump for the comments he made about health care workers

Brett Edkins, political director at Stand Up America, a progressive, nonprofit group formed to challenge the president on his policy decisions, tweeted his partner was a New York City doctor and blasted Trump for the comments he made about health care workers

Karly Brom suggested in a tweet that the briefings should include live footage of dying patients and medical professionals 'fighting to save them without basic equipment

Karly Brom suggested in a tweet that the briefings should include live footage of dying patients and medical professionals ‘fighting to save them without basic equipment

Brett Edkins, political director at Stand Up America, a progressive, nonprofit group formed to challenge the president on his policy decisions, tweeted his partner was a New York City doctor and blasted Trump for the comments he made about health care workers. 

‘Hearing Trump accuse them of stealing masks is offensive beyond words,’ Edkins said in a Tweet Sunday night. 

Karly Brom suggested in a tweet that the briefings should include live footage of dying patients and medical professionals ‘fighting to save them without basic equipment. 

The US has had almost 133,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, which has been blamed for more than 2,300 deaths since the outbreak began. 

The US currently leads the world in coronavirus infections with 132,647 reported as of Sunday afternoon

The US currently leads the world in coronavirus infections with 132,647 reported as of Sunday afternoon

It was not clear if the president was motivated to make his comments about the masks after New York’s Governor Cuomo earlier this month said there was evidence of thefts.

‘There have been thefts of medical equipment and masks,’ Cuomo said  during a March 6 press conference. 

The governor said that he had instructed the New York State Police to look into the theft.  

Karly Brom suggested in a tweet that the briefings should include live footage of dying patients and medical professionals ‘fighting to save them without basic equipment. 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk