NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — A local congressman says small businesses will need personal protective equipment from the federal government when they begin to reopen.
Congressman Max Rose on Friday called on the federal government to begin providing proper PPE to small businesses to protect their workers as they begin to reopen.
He says businesses were forced to close and need to ensure public health standards when they open their doors again.
“How do we give them the resources and the standards that they need to open up?” Rose asked.
He says President Donald Trump should reinforcing the Defense Production Act, which was invoked at the beginning of the pandemic for production of ventilators.
“We have to give mask companies, swab companies, reagent companies, lab equipment companies, glove companies – we gotta give them all long-term contracts so that they have demand guarantees,” Rose said. “We have to give these companies enough capital to dramatically increase their production by building new factories.”
He believes the act hasn’t been used in the right way since the beginning.
Rose also wants an extension of the Paycheck Protection Program to the end of the year.