The primary responsibility for having necessary Personal Protective Equipment and equipment such as ventilators is with hospitals. They need to have sufficient for predictable usage, plus allowance for repairs and maintenance, and allowance for a moderate surges in demand. For greater surges in demand, cities, then counties, then states should each have stockpiles of PPE and equipment such as ventilators. The Federal Government should be the last, not the first, resort for such supplies and equipment.
Looking at https://covidtracking.com/data/national , it was only on March 15th that the count of daily confirmed new cases in the US topped 10,000. With that as context, what was known at the time, what did the Trump Administration do with regard to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)?
March 2, 2020 - Emergency Use Authorization given, allowing hospitals to use industrial filter N95 respirators to protect against Covid, https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-and-cdc-take-action-increase-access-respirators-including-n95s
March 4, 2020 - HHS announced intent to purchase 500 million N95 respirators over the next 18 months for the Strategic National Stockpile; https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-health-us-news-ap-top-news-politics-090600c299a8cf07f5b44d92534856bc ; AP's partisan spin is pathetic. Should Trump magically have known from very sketchy information, leaked just 2 months before this announcement, and despite the following ~3 weeks of China and WHO denying that human-to-human transmission had happened, that the Feds would need to purchase large quantities of respirators (face masks)? AP's criticism was partisan spin. AP also ignored the historical context, https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/face-masks-in-national-stockpile-have-not-been-substantially-replenished-since-2009/2020/03/10/57e57316-60c9-11ea-8baf-519cedb6ccd9_story.html , of the Strategic National Stockpile not having been replenished since 2009, a Congressional (Congress controls and passes the budget) failure and by the Presidential Administration in office when the depletion occurred. Context matters.
March 17, 2020 - Defense Department to give HHS up to 5M respirator masks, 2,000 ventilators; https://www.defense.gov/Explore/News/Article/Article/2115200/dod-poised-to-provide-masks-ventilators-labs-to-hhs-for-coronavirus-fight/
March 18, 2020 - Pernod Ricard USA began producing hand sanitizer at all of its US distilleries, in coordination with and assisted by the White House Task Force; https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pernod-ricard-usa-produces-hand-sanitizer-to-help-us-combat-covid-19-virus-301026216.html
March 23, 2020 - Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to forbid hoarding, speculating, and price-gouging of PPE and sanitizing products; https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingpricegouginghoarding , https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-will-not-tolerate-the-price-gouging-and-hoarding
March 27, 2020 - Executive order delegating to the Secretaries of HHS, DHS, and Defense President Trump's authority to make or guarantee loans, purchase and commit to purchase, and other actions to obtain and facilitate the domestic manufacture of PPE, ventilators, and other medical necessities; https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/DCPD-202000198/pdf/DCPD-202000198.pdf , While this sounds like a yawner, the authority Trump delegated was used to make numerous purchase totalling 10s of millions or billions of dollars
March 27, 2020 - Under DPA order, GM and Ventec partnering to produce ventilators; GM will also produce surgical masks at its Warren, MI, ramping up to 50K a day in two weeks, with potential to produce up to 100K per day; https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/27/trump-orders-general-motors-to-make-ventilators-under-defense-production-act.html , https://www.venteclife.com/news/ventec-life-systems-and-gm-partner-to-mass-produce-critical-care-ventilators-in-response-to-covid19-pandemic
March 30, 2020 - FDA approved Battelle’s process for decontaminating tens of thousands of N95 masks per day; https://www.wtol.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/fda-approves-use-of-battelles-mask-sterilizing-technology-at-full-capacity/512-265af79c-a9b5-4833-95b1-c4da65e81a91 , https://www.einpresswire.com/article/513367958/secretary-azar-statement-on-fda-authorization-of-mask-sterilization-procedure , FDA has slow-walked this approval since 2016!
March 30, 2020 - Under DPA, Honeywell has increased production in its Rhode Island facility and begun expansion of its Phoenix, AZ which produces N95 masks; https://www.honeywell.com/en-us/newsroom/pressreleases/2020/03/honeywell-further-expands-n95-face-mask-production-by-adding-manufacturing-capabilities-in-phoenix
April 1, 2020 - White House, HHS, FDA worked with Senator Rob Portman to acquire, authorize use of two million gowns donated to the Strategic National Stockpile by Cardinal Health; 2020, https://riponadvance.com/stories/portman-coordinates-cardinal-healths-gown-donation-to-strategic-national-stockpile/
April 2, 2020 - Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to direct 3M to produce more N95 masks and not export masks produced in the US; https://www.npr.org/2020/04/03/826945445/defense-production-act-would-compel-3m-to-change-mask-production-and-export , https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/memorandum-order-defense-production-act-regarding-3m-company/ , https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/02/politics/defense-production-act-ventilator-supplies/index.html
April 2, 2020 - Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to direct General Electric Co., Hill-Rom Holdings Inc., Medtronic Public Limited Co., ResMed Inc., Royal Philips N.V. and Vyaire Medical Inc. to produce ventilators and material for producing ventilators; https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/02/politics/defense-production-act-ventilator-supplies/index.html
April 3, 2020 - Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to forbid export of PPE masks and gloves; https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/491137-trump-invokes-defense-production-act-to-prevent-export-of-surgical/
April 6, 2020 - Trump announced an agreement with 3M to produce, import 55.5 million N95 masks per month for the next three months; https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/06/coronavirus-trump-and-3m-strike-deal-to-bring-55point5-million-masks-a-month-to-us.html
April 8, 2020 - HHS announced agreement with DuPont and FedEx to manufacture, deliver 2.25M new Tyvek Protective Suits to Strategic National Stockpile; https://newsroom.fedex.com/newsroom/global/fedex-activates-project-airbridge-operation , https://globalbiodefense.com/newswire/dupont-to-produce-up-to-4-5-million-tyvek-protective-suits-for-u-s-healthcare-workers/
April 12, 2020 - FDA issued an emergency authorization for devices from Advanced Sterilization Products, which can decontaminate ~4 million N95 respirators each day; https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-issues-emergency-use-authorization-decontaminate-millions-n95 , https://medtechintelligence.com/news_article/fda-issues-emergency-use-authorization-to-asp-to-decontaminate-nearly-4-million-n95-masks/
April 13, 2020 - DoD announced it was buying 60 Battelle decontamination systems which can sanitize 80,000 N95 respirators per day; https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2148352/dod-contract-for-60-n95-critical-care-decontamination-units-415m-contract-each/ , https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/13/politics/pentagon-n95-mask-decontamination/index.html
April 14, 2020 - EPA announced it has temporarily waived certain approvals for manufacturers producing coronavirus disinfectants; https://www.natlawreview.com/article/epa-continues-to-expand-efforts-to-ease-production-disinfectants-approved-use
April 17, 2020 - Under DPA, Honeywell has begun production of N95 face masks in a new facility in Rhode Island; https://www.honeywell.com/en-us/newsroom/pressreleases/2020/04/honeywell-begins-production-of-n95-face-masks-in-smithfield-ri ; also see March 30, above.
April 20, 2020 - Coordinated by White House equipment czar Peter Navarro, Owens & Minor provided specialized fabric, UPS transported it to NYC, where several manufacturers will sew them into 400K surgical gowns by May 23; https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/nyc-garment-districts-to-produce-surgical-gowns-amid-coronavirus/
April 21, 2020 - Under the DPA, DOD to invest $133 million to increase US domestic N95 mask production by over 39 million over the next 90 days; three companies were awarded contracts, 3M , O&M Halyard, and Honeywell; https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2158351/dod-details-133-million-defense-production-act-title-3-covid-19-project/
May 1, 2020 - Under the DPA and CARES Act, DOD in coordination with HHS, has signed a $126 million contract award with 3M for the increased production of 26 million N95 medical-grade masks per month, starting in October 2020; https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2178152/dod-awards-126-million-contract-to-3m-increasing-production-of-n95-masks/ , https://www.congress.gov/116/meeting/house/110794/witnesses/HHRG-116-AS00-Wstate-LordE-20200610.pdf
May 1, 2020 - Under the DPA and CARES Act, DOD in coordination with HHS, has signed a $20.1 million contract award with Moldex for increased production capacity by 5 million N95 masks per month; https://www.congress.gov/116/meeting/house/110794/witnesses/HHRG-116-AS00-Wstate-LordE-20200610.pdf
May 7, 2020 - 3M announced that it received two more U.S. Department of Defense contracts to expand US production of N95 respirator masks; https://www.massdevice.com/3m-wins-govt-contracts-to-further-expand-u-s-respirator-production/ , https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200507005711/en/3M-Awarded-Department-of-Defense-Contracts-to-Further-Expand-U.S.-Production-of-N95-Respirators
May 8, 2020 - FDA issued an EUA for the Duke Decontamination System to decontaminate compatible N95 or N95-equivalent respirators for reuse by health care personnel; https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-daily-roundup-may-8-2020
May 28, 2020 - FDA issued an Emergency Use Authorization for the Stryker Sustainability Solutions (SSS) VHP N95 Respirator Decontamination System; https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-daily-roundup-may-28-2020
May 28, 2020 - Under the DPA, DOD in support of HHS signed a $2.2 million contract with Hollingsworth & Vose to increase US production of 27.5 million N95 ventilator filters and 3.1 million N95 respirators per month starting in August; https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2200654/dod-announces-defense-production-act-title-3-covid-19-ppe-project-22-million-in/
June 19, 2020 - Under the DPA, DOD in coordination with HHS signed a $13.5 million contract with Lydall, Inc. to increase domestic capacity of meltblown filtration media, a key component in N95 masks; https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2245825/dod-awards-135-million-contract-to-lydall-inc-to-increase-domestic-production-o/
July 13, 2020 - Under the DPA, DOD in coordination with HHS awarded Renco Corp. a NTE $22.4 million contract with Lydall, Inc. to increase domestic production capacity of Nitrile beutadine rubber gloves; https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/2272447/
July 23, 2020 - Under the DPA, DOD in coordination with HHS awarded Pall Corporation a NTE $4.9 million contract to increase domestic production capacity of ventilator filters; https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2286217/dod-awards-49-million-contract-to-pall-corporation-to-increase-industrial-base/
July 25, 2020 - Under the DPA, DOD in coordination with HHS signed a $2.75 million contract with NPS to increase domestic capacity of meltblown filtration media, a key component in N95 masks; https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2288304/dod-awards-275-million-contract-to-nps-to-increase-domestic-production-of-meltb/
August 25, 2020 - HHSannounced the release of 1.5 million N95 respirators from the Strategic National Stockpile distribution to approximately 3,336 US nursing home facilities; https://www.massdevice.com/hhs-to-release-1-5m-n95-respirators-to-nursing-homes/ , https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2020-08-26-nursing-homes-receive-n95-respirators-stockpile
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