The Senate has approved $47.5 million to be used for ventilators and N95 face masks. As part of the larger COVID-19 funding bill passed last week, expenditures requested from the COVID-19 Response Fund exceeding $1 million dollars must be reviewed and approved by the legislature within 24 hours. 

“We established the COVID-19 Response Fund for this exact purpose: to fund and prepare our state for the coming increase in COVID-19 cases. With this approval, the state can purchase the necessary ventilators to help patients and buy facemasks to protect healthcare workers,” said Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-East Gull Lake). “The funding for the supplies is ready and available, and I encourage the Walz administration to make these purchases as soon as possible, knowing that other states and nations are needing the same items we do.”