CHENANGO COUNTY – On Tuesday Chenango County received 10,000 surgical masks from the state and distributed to healthcare workers and first responders.

The Chenango County Bureau of Fire, Fire Coordinator Matthew Beckwith, said the county distributed the masks among essential workers and first responders, with a large portion going to nursing homes and Chenango Memorial Hospital. However, there is still a large demand for personal protection equipment.

“I was able to order 8,000 more surgical masks that should arrive Tuesday of next week. We paid for that out of our own budget. With that we're going to be able to supplement some of the agencies that didn't get many masks with the state surplus,” said Beckwith.

Beckwith stated that the new directives from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo are going to be difficult to follow with the shortage of equipment.

“The Governor released two directives. One that all essential employees who make contact with the public have to wear a mask. The other that anyone in the general public has to wear a mask if they cannot maintain a 6 foot distance. The problem is there's no masks. That's what we keep being told, that there are no masks available,” said Beckwith.