Close-up of N95 respirator mask during an outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus, San Francisco, California, March 30, 2020. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images) WASHINGTON (AP) - The Strategic National Stockpile is nearly out of the N95 respirators, surgical masks, face, shields, gowns and other medical supplies desperately needed to protect front-line medical workers treating coronavirus patients.
The Department of Health and Human Services told the Associated Press Wednesday that the federal stockpile was in the process of deploying all remaining personal protective equipment in its inventory.
A small percentage will be kept in reserve to support federal response efforts, the department said. RELATED: CoronavirusNOW.com, FOX launches