Feds send more COVID drug to Florida
July 10, 2020 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced an emergency shipment of Remdesivir, a treatment for COVID-19, to Florida. The Florida Department of Health told hospitals earlier this week that the state had exhausted its supply of the drug. Florida's Democratic congressional representatives, including Rep. Charlie Crist, D-St. Petersburg, asked the federal government to expedite the request for emergency supplies. The emergency shipment of up to 130,000 vials of the drug will be distributed to Florida hospitals as soon as today, with the potential for a second allocation to follow by Monday, July 13, a news release from Crist said. "Our country needs to prioritize the manufacture of this and other life-saving treatments, and ensure distribution networks are well-managed and responsive to keep an emergency shortfall from happening again," Crist said.