The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Friday that it has made its first list of medical supplies that are just hours after a shortage President Trump
Donald John TrumpUSPS warns Pennsylvania post-in polls may not be delivered on time to count. Michael Cohen book accuses Trump of corruption, fraud Trump demands post-vote for Florida Congress primary MORE toute the production of the administration of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other devices.
In an effort to prevent supply or storage of supplies, the list does not disclose the product manufacturers, but lists that fans, respirators, masks, surgical coats, gloves and sterile swabs are too short.
The new list comes as cases of COVID-19 spikes appear nationwide and record-breaking counts are reported weekly in several states.
This week, the U.S. saw its deadliest day in months, as more than 1,500 died of the coronavirus on Wednesday, with the total death toll as of Friday exceeding 168,000, according to Johns Hopkins University. In total, there are more than 5.2 million coronavirus cases in the US
Earlier in a press release on Friday, Trump praised the work to increase the supply of Strategic National Stockpile of some of the products that made up the FDA list.
“We’ve increased the number of N95 masks on hand to more than 40 million, increased the number of jackets to more than 15 million, and doubled the number of fans to 69,000,” Trump said.
PPE supply shortages were often reported at the onset of the virus, but closure efforts and the use of the Defense Production Act administration have led to a delay in hospitalizations and an increase in crucial supplies. Still, some rural hospitals and other health care groups have said they have struggled to keep important supplies in stock.
In early July, a union warned nurses that the onset of new outbreaks could mean more shortages than those seen at the start of the pandemic.
“We’ve been here five months and there’s still a shortage of dresses, hair covers, shoe covers, masks, N95 masks,” said Deborah Burger, president of National Nurses United, at the time. “I think in general production, distribution and access have improved … the fear is that we will become independent.”
.
