Virus Sparks Nationwide Need for Medical Equipment as Pentagon Steps In

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon says it will give 5 million respirator masks and 2,000 ventilators to the Department of Health and Human Services from the military’s strategic reserve in order to support the coronavirus response.

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said Tuesday from the Pentagon press briefing room that 1 million respirator masks would be made available immediately.

Esper said the Pentagon is able to offer up to 2,000 deployable ventilators but that the machines are different from those used by civilians and will require training before operation. He added...

With civilian hospitals increasingly overwhelmed and the coronavirus outbreak in America deepening, a question is coming up of whether there’s a bigger role the US military to play in responding.

President Donald Trump isn’t so sure, yet.

“We’re starting the process. And it’s a process — we hope it’s not going to be necessary, but it could be necessary,” he said during the White House briefing on Tuesday morning.

Hours later, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the Pentagon would at least offer some support. He told reporters that his department...