IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE PANDEMIC, THE U.S. GOVERNMENT TURNED DOWN AN OFFER TO MANUFACTURE MILLIONS OF N95 MASKS IN AMERICA

WASHINGTON – Prestige Ameritech could have ramped up production to make an additional 1.7 million N95 masks per week at the beginning of the pandemic. The owner, Michael Bowen, told the Department of Health and Human Services that the company had four like-new N95 manufacturing lines. Bowen stated that reactivating the lines would be difficult and expensive but that it was possible in the given circumstances.

However, communication with officials such as Robert Kadlec, the assistant secretary for preparedness and emergency response, indicated that there was little interest in Bowen’s offer. Production lines such as Bowen’s are continuing to sit dormant today. Within weeks, there was a shortage of masks and the Trump administration has been scrambling to buy more.

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