PRESIDENT Donald Trump is begging countries around the world to give the US masks and hand sanitizer to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
According to CNN, the Trump administration has been asking other countries for 25 items.
The State Department has been telling diplomats to ask their host countries for COVID-19 supplies available both "today" and "in weeks".
The list includes basic items, such as biohazard bags, N-95 masks, gloves, gowns, surgical caps, shoe covers, sharps containers, protective eyewear, hand sanitizer and Tyvek suits.
But the president is also asking for complex equipment including ventilators, metered dose inhalers, elastomeric respirators and powered air purifying respirators.
White House Trade and Manufacturing Policy Director, Peter Navarro told the NYT: "My job at the White House right now is to help find whatever the American people need and buy it from wherever we can, and if we need to send a plane to go get it, we'll get that done using the full force of government and private enterprise.
"If China or any other country has some masks, gloves or other products we need for the American people, we welcome that with open arms."
However, speaking on Tuesday, Trump said: "We should never be reliant on a foreign country for the means of our own survival.
"America will never be a supplicant nation, we will be a proud prosperous independent and self-reliant nation.
"We will embrace commerce with all, but be dependent on none."
The list emerged on the same day that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo begged for triple the number of hospital beds to help battle the virus.
Cuomo said 140,000 beds are needed but New York hospitals only have 53,000 available.
He also urged New York hospitals to increase their capacity by 50 percent, which would provide 27,000 additional beds – upping the total to 80,000.
The request came as members of the Department of Homeland Security were informed on Tuesday that New York City will run out of morgue space early next week.
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