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A spokesman for the governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, rebutted Amazon’s claim that it was offering help with vaccine distribution in all 50 states, saying Maryland was “unaware” of it. an offer from Amazon to provide this type of help.
The comment comes after Amazon said Thursday that it contacted the Trump administration to help with the logistics of getting vaccines into the hands of Americans, but the Trump administration asked it to contact states at the time. square. Amazon sent a letter to the Biden administration this week offering to help with vaccine distribution.
“We don’t know of any letters, but Amazon reached out to us this week to vaccinate their frontline workers in Maryland,” Mike Ricci, Hogan’s communications director, told Fox News when asked if the governor had received an offer from Amazon. to help get the Marylanders vaccinated.
Ricci added that “[w]We are not aware of any such letter, “from Amazon offering assistance to Maryland’s vaccination efforts.
President Joe Biden speaks about the coronavirus in the State Dining Room of the White House, Thursday, January 21, 2021, in Washington. Amazon has offered to help the new administration distribute coronavirus vaccines. (AP Photo / Alex Brandon)
AMAZON DISPUTES CLAIMING THAT IT NEVER OFFERED ASSISTANCE WITH THE DISTRIBUTION OF CORONAVIRUS VACCINES FOR TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
The comments cast doubt on Amazon’s statement Thursday that it had offered help to “all the governors.”
“We met with Trump’s Operation Warp Speed to offer assistance with vaccine logistics and were redirected to the states. We then wrote to all of the governors offering to help distribute the vaccine.” an Amazon spokesperson told Fox News.
The Amazon spokesperson continued: “[T]Throughout 2020, we partnered closely with the Trump administration to respond to Covid-19: We worked with the State Department to collect personal protective equipment in China when American doctors did not have it. not, we’ve built new tools for researchers and public health authorities, we’ve advised the US government on testing and more … To suggest that we waited to offer help for political reasons is simply wrong. “
Fox News obtained the letter Amazon sent to Hogan dated December 21, 2020, but that letter was directed at vaccinating Amazon employees rather than helping Maryland’s larger vaccination plan.
“Amazon stands ready to help ensure that our essential workers who cannot work from home receive the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible,” the letter read.
He continued, “We are proud of the role our essential workers have played during this pandemic to help customers stay safe and receive important products at home, which is essential for people with health conditions under. -common and prone to complications from COVID-19. In Maryland, Amazon and Whole Foods Market have more than 25,000 essential full-time and part-time employees who cannot work from home … “
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump board Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. On Wednesday, January 20, 2021. Amazon has had communications with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other Trump administration officials on vaccine distribution, Fox News is briefed, but sources said no formal letter or offer was made. (AP Photo / Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Hogan’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News when asked to clarify when he received a letter from Amazon asking for help vaccinating his employees.
Meanwhile, Amazon’s letter to the Biden administration was titled “Amazon congratulates President Biden and Vice President Harris; supports the vaccination of Americans ”. He says, “We stand ready to leverage our operations, information technology, communications capabilities and expertise to aid your administration’s immunization efforts. Our scale allows us to have a significant impact immediately in the fight against COVID-19, and we are ready to help you in that effort. “
A similar line is not included in the letter Amazon wrote to Hogan, however.
After the news that Amazon was offering aid to the new Biden administration, several senior Trump administration officials told Fox News that Amazon had never offered assistance to the Trump administration with the distribution of vaccines.
WHY DID AMAZON WAIT UNTIL THE INAUGURATION OFFERED TO OFFER ASSISTANCE WITH VACCINE DISTRIBUTION?
Amazon has had communications with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other administration officials, Fox News says, but sources said no formal letter or offer was made.
Meanwhile, former Operation Warp Speed officials told Fox News that an Amazon offer would not necessarily apply because the Trump administration was not making a federal vaccine rollout, but instead allowed distribution to states.
In addition to Maryland, Fox News contacted North Carolina, Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Georgia, Michigan, California and Ohio to find out whether or not Amazon is offering its help with vaccines.
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) told Fox News it received a copy of the letter Amazon sent to President Biden this week, but did not say whether or not he had received an offer of help from Amazon during the Trump administration.
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“ODH received a copy of a letter that Amazon sent to President Biden this week,” he said. “ODH staff are following up to see what help they could possibly provide with vaccine distribution. We have no further details to provide at this time.”
Vaccinations will be one of the main challenges for the Biden administration, with pressure already on the administration to increase its goal of 100 million injections in its first 100 days.
Biden was asked in a public appearance Thursday night if he would, given the current trajectory of vaccines in the United States.
“When I announced it, you all said it wasn’t possible,” Biden said. “Come on, give me a break man.
Fox News’ Griff Jenkins, John Roberts, Gillian Turner, Susan Li, Edward Lawrence, and Yael Hal contributed to this report.
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