The Strategic National Stockpile won’t be sending states any more of the emergency equipment needed to battle the coronavirus pandemic — respirators, surgical masks, gloves, face shields, beds or ventilators — because it has already given them as much as it can.
The stockpile’s depletion, apart from a small reserve for federal workers, means the private market must meet states’ remaining protective equipment needs.
The House Oversight and Reform Committee, which is investigating the distribution of its supplies, revealed the stockpile’s status Wednesday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency had briefed representatives on the situation Tuesday. Continue reading.