Oversight Committee Says Critical Shortages of Medical Supplies Loom

Demand for ventilators outstripping capacity of national stockpile

Boxes of N95 protective masks for use by medical field personnel are seen at a New York State emergency operations incident command center during the CCP virus outbreak in New Rochelle, N.Y., on March 17, 2020. Mike Segar/Reuters

FEMA only has enough personal protective equipment and critical medical supplies to meet “a fraction” of the requests coming in from COVID-19 hotspots, according to a statement issued Thursday by Chairperson of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.).

Maloney implored the government to increase efforts to procure personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators to five states and the District of Columbia as the number of CCP virus infections there continue to steepen their increase.