Delaware County on Wednesday, April 8, had 1,042 positive cases of COVID-19 and 25 coronavirus-related deaths, according to data from the Chester County Board of Health.

On the same date, Delaware County’s COVID-19 medical arsenal consisted of:

•  11 adult ICU beds
• 156 medical/surgical beds
• 18 airborne isolation room beds
• 152 ventilators
• 29 ventilators in use by COVID-19 patients
• 72 ventilators in use for non-COVID-19 patients

That, according to a new hospital preparedness database set up by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

This information comes on the heel of a possible surge in coronavirus cases over the next two to weeks in Delaware County.

To counter that surge, Gov. Tom Wolf signed an order April 8 to transfer Personal Protective Equipment and other medical supplies to hospitals with the greatest need in the state.

The order will ensure the efficient allocation and effective use of critical medical resources, such as N95 face masks, ventilators, respirators, face shields, safety goggles, disinfectants and other sanitizing solutions by hospitals in the state.

“Today, I am signing an order that will allow us to transfer supplies and information between medical facilities to both high-population, high-impact areas and lower population areas that might not have as many existing medical resources,“ Gov. Wolf said in a statement.

“This will also prevent sick Pennsylvanians from having to choose which hospital to go to for fear that some have less access to equipment than others and it will help us make use of every ventilator, every piece of PPE, and every medical worker.”

The order mandates that private, public and quasi-public health care providers and facilities, manufacturers, and distributors and suppliers of PPE, pharmaceuticals and other medical resources in the state submit current inventory quantities within five days of the order.

At the same time, health care providers and facilities are ordered to provide reports to PEMA detailing healthcare needs.

PEMA and other state agencies will then allocate supplies to where they are most needed.