WASHINGTON – The U.S. government Thursday eased restrictions on blood donations from gay men and other key groups because of a drop in the nation's blood supply triggered by the coronavirus outbreak.
The Food and Drug Administration's new policy aims to allow tens of thousands more Americans give blood, including gay and bisexual men and people with recent tattoos and piercings. "We want and we need healthy people — all healthy people — to give blood," said Surgeon General Dr.
Jerome Adams, who announced the changes in a media briefing with the FDA. Canceled blood drives have been devastating to the American Red Cross and other nonprofits that provide most of the blood supply.