More than $200 million worth of Covid-19 gear purchased by New York City to battle the pandemic was auctioned off for a small fraction of the cost – $500,000, according to reports.
The equipment includes thousands of ventilators commissioned by then-Mayor Bill de Blasio for $12 million that were auctioned off for scrap metal for less than $25,000, The City reported. The auction ended on Jan. 24.
A Long Island junk dealer took the whole $12 million in ventilators, at just about $8 per device, the report said.
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An investigation by the news outlet found the city's Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) has tried to auction off millions of dollars worth of COVID-related personal protective equipment and medical supplies, including hospital gowns, hand sanitizer, N95 masks that were deemed to be no longer needed.
The spending by the city at the start of the pandemic was meant to create a 90-day supply of medical supplies, DCAS spokesperson Nick Benson told the outlet.
"Thankfully, New Yorkers and our heroic frontline medical workers came together to avert some of the worst-case scenarios," he said.
Mayor Eric Adams, who assumed office in 2022, said Tuesday that the city's charter requires officials to make a decision after 90 days.
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"After that 90-day, we have to make the determination, of my understanding, either to auction it off, give it away, or discard it," he said. "That's just a bad rule. And so, as you stated, hundreds of millions of dollars will auction off for $500,000."
The city also paid higher prices for equipment, including face shields at $6.70 each, well above the average price of $3.67. On Valentine's Day, the city auctioned off 701,100 face shields, with an opening bid of $1,000.
