Trump administration aims to nab 300 mln N95 masks in 90 days -official

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration is seeking to add 300 million N95 masks, the respiratory protective devices that are key to protecting medical workers fighting the deadly coronavirus, to the U.S. stockpile by the fall, a senior administration official said on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters during a telephone briefing, the official said the administration hopes ultimately to replenish its strategic national stockpile, which had only 13 million N95s at the beginning of the outbreak, to 1 billion in total.

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The masks aren't going to the places they're desperately needed -- the hospitals where medical workers are forced to use the same mask for a week, when the standard is to replace the mask after each patient. They are going to the government stockpile, so Fat Donnie can point to a chart and say, "Because of me, the stockpile has one billion masks!" A billion is an impressive number in his mind, which is why he's yanking masks from those who need them.

You know what's an impressive number? 85,000, which is the number of Americans who have died because of Trump's incompetence. Fortunately that number is going down as the Administration fights to reclassify COVID-19 deaths.

[forgotmylogin]

1. So, is the idea to hoard masks in the national stockpile?

They can say "WE'VE GOT MILLIONS OF PPE!" To have number, but they aren't going to actually use them.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

5. I suspect their motive is to gain leverage over lots of people.....

in the medical profession and thereby the politicians over the areas where those professionals work.

By controlling a substantial portion of a supply chain, you can make those needing the product swear allegiance to you.

Everything with Trump is about him having control and scoring a win.........

[Dream Girl]

2. Why?we don't need no frigging masks!

[Squinch]

3. It's the middle of May. We've needed masks since February. Now, all of a sudden

they're in a mad rush?

Worse still, their mad rush means we'll get them by "the fall." Who else thinks that means December or January for them?

Fuckwads.

[stillcool]

4. Russia needs masks?

[Chainfire]

6. Why does he need masks now

I thought this thing was over and he declared victory.