Mayor welcomes former NYPD Commissioner O'Neill as COVID-19 senior adviser

Mayor de Blasio says former NYPD Commissioner James "Jimmy" O'Neil will be in charge of a hospital supply chain that will be able to address needs on an hourly basis.

News 12 Staff

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Apr 1, 2020, 7:31 PM

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Updated 1,729 days ago

Mayor welcomes former NYPD Commissioner O'Neill as COVID-19 senior adviser

Mayor Bill de Blasio welcomed back former NYPD Commissioner James “Jimmy” O’Neill Wednesday during his daily COVID-19 news conference, tasking him with managing the supply chain for New York City’s health care workers.

O’Neill said he felt “compelled” to return to the city from San Francisco, where he had been working with Visa.

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The mayor reiterated that much-needed supplies must get to New York City by Sunday, April 5. He said that he was confident that there would be enough surgical gloves and goggles, but more is needed, including surgical masks and gowns.

The mayor says New York City needs 20,000 ICU beds, 65,000 medical beds and 15,000 ventilators by May 1. In terms of capacity, he is hoping large venues in the city and hotels will allow them to be converted into emergency hospitals. He said that he has received extraordinary cooperation in the “herculean effort.”

Dr. Mitchell Katz, of NYC Health + Hospitals said hospitals across the city have increased their ICU capacity in a matter of days – including Elmhurst Hospital, which went from 29 ICU beds to 111 ICU beds in 10 days.

Dr. Katz says maximizing ICU capacity “will require a huge influx of equipment and staffing.”

To deal with the coming surge, NYC Health + Hospitals has added 165 doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants to the system. Another 350 will be deployed next week. Also, 1,000 more registered nurses have been deployed with another 1,000 within the next two weeks.

UPDATES FROM MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO

Mayor Bill de Blasio reiterates that Sunday, April 5 is a marker for getting much-needed supplies for all first responders.
Mayor de Blasio: "We are confident that we will have sufficient goggles and surgical gloves."
The mayor says the city still need 3.3 million, 2.1 surgical masks, 100,000 isolation gowns. "Big numbers, but reachable numbers."
Mayor de Blasio: We still need 400 more ventilators to be in place by Sunday. We need a minimum of 2,500 to 3,000 more ventilators by next week.
Mayor de Blasio says former NYPD Commissioner James "Jimmy" O'Neil will be in charge of a hospital supply chain that will be able to address needs on an hourly basis.
The mayor says New York City needs 20,000 ICU beds, 65,000 medical beds and 15,000 ventilators by May 1.
Dr. Mitchell Katz: Elmhurst Hospital has gone from 29 ICU beds to 111 ICU beds in 10 days.
Lincoln Hospital went from 34 ICU beds to 114 ICU beds, with 34 more coming. Bellevue Hospital grew from 66 ICU beds to 127, with 52 more coming.
Dr. Katz: NYC Health + Hospital is maximizing ICU capacity by adding an additional 3,000 ICU beds. "This will require a huge influx of equipment and staffing."
To deal with the coming surge, NYC Health + Hospitals has added 165 doctors, nurse practitioner and physician's assistants to the system. Another 350 will be deployed next week; 1,000 more RNs have been deployed with another 1,000 within the next two weeks.
Dr. Katz: Front line staff of H + H personnel is getting free COVID-19 testing, $1.6 million in private donations have been raised to purchase comfort items (meals, taxi rides, hotels) for hospital staff, and emotional and psychological counseling has been expanded.
Anyone that would like to donate to medical staff can do so at nychhc.networkforgood.com or 833-NYC-0040.
Mayor de Blasio says he is exploring new ways to expand patient capacity, including hotels. The next phase is to convert hotels and large venues to hold 39,000 patients.
A "wartime factory" is producing PPE for medical professionals at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
"There cannot be religious gatherings." Mayor de Blasio says Passover and Easter services cannot happen amid social distancing guidelines.