Trump said Boris Johnson's government asked him for 200 ventilators as the UK 'needed them desperately'

REUTERS/Tom Brenner

• Donald Trump says the UK has asked the US for 200 medical ventilators which it "desperately" needs.
• The President said his administration were "gonna work it out for them."
• The UK government has said Britain will need 30,000 to get through the coronavirus pandemic.
• It had over 10,000 ventilators as of Monday.
• Prime Minister Boris Johnson remains in intensive care after his condition deteriorated on Monday.
• The UK on Tuesday rejected an offer from the president to help with Johnson's coronavirus treatment.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Donald Trump says the UK contacted his administration asking for 200 ventilators which it "desperately" needs to get through the coronavirus pandemic.

Boris Johnson's government is struggling to secure the medical supplies it needs while the prime minister remains in intensive care for treatment for the coronavirus.

The President on Tuesday told reporters: "The UK called today and they wanted to know would it be possible to get 200 and we're going to work it out, we've got to work it out.

He said: 'They've been great partners. United Kingdom.

"And we're gonna work it out for them. So they wanted 200, they needed them desperately."

Trump said the US had "110,000 ventilators coming over a short period of time."

However, he said he hoped the US would not need to use every one and would be able to give some to other countries which are desperate for them.

"I don't think we'll need them. Hopefully, we won't need them. I don't think we'll need anywhere near them," he said.

The UK government has said the UK will need 30,000 ventilators to get through the COVID-19 pandemic.

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister on Tuesday, April 7 said the UK had 10,000 medical ventilators, with another 1,000 on order. The UK is trying to secure more from a variety of manufacturers both at home and abroad.

Johnson spent a second night in intensive care at St Thomas' hospital, London, after his coronavirus symptoms worsened on Monday, April 6. He has not required ventilation, health minister Edward Argar said on Wednesday morning.

President Trump on Monday offered Johnson the services of two unnamed US pharmaceutical companies as the UK prime minister tries to recover from the virus, adding that they had "arrived in London already."

"I've asked two of the leading companies, these are brilliant companies - Ebola, AIDS, others, they've come with the solutions and just have done incredible jobs," Trump said. "And I've asked them to contact London immediately."

However, Johnson's spokesperson rejected the offer on Tuesday, telling reporters "any treatment he receives is a matter for his doctors."

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