The federal government will send two-week supplies of personal protective equipment to more than 15,000 nursing homes across the country, The Hill reported.
COVID-19 has killed more than 10,000 residents in long-term care facilities nationwide, and facilities have struggled to obtain adequate supplies of protective gear, according to The Hill.
Peter Gaynor, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said April 30 the agency will send the first shipments containing a seven-day supply starting next week and a second shipment in early June.
All facilities are to receive both shipments by July 4, and supplies will include surgical masks, gloves and eye protection, according to The Hill. Shipments are to be tailored to each facility based on staffing size, and first shipments will go to large cities hit hardest by COVID-19, including New York City, Boston and Chicago.
In total, the agency plans to send 608,000 pieces of eye protection, 6.9 million masks, 6.4 million gowns, and 31.4 million pairs of gloves.
Shipments will only go to nursing homes and not to assisted-living facilities or any other type of long-term care facility, The Hill reported.
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