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Tuesday, Jul. 6, 2021

Is there still a shortage of N95 masks?

Austin Tannenbaum, Gigafact
no

Recent reports by manufacturers and hospitals along with recommendations by the U.S. government confirm there is no longer a shortage of N95 masks.

In March, the American Mask Manufacturers Association stated that “the U.S. has ample supply of masks” and called on government to stop discouraging the public from buying them.

The next month, the Food and Drug Administration advised hospitals to transition away from “crisis capacity conservation strategies” such as reusing N95 masks in light of “increased domestic supply.”

The National Nurses Union similarly acknowledged “ample N95 supply” and pushed for stricter standards against mask rationing to adequately protect nurses.

Manufacturers that ramped up production during the pandemic are now struggling to sell their surplus given competition from abroad and reduced demand from vaccination efforts. The AMMA urged “government intervention” by August 1 to “save critical national supply.”

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