The Federal Emergency Management Agency has outlined a four-step approach to securing health care supplies and equipment to test and treat patients for COVID-19 infections.

Getting equipment to hospitals has been identified as one of the most important steps to understanding the extent of infections and how long it may take for the virus to subside.

FEMA’s approaching involves:

• Preservation. This means reusing personal protective equipment wherever possible.
• Acceleration of industrial manufacturing of equipment to meet urgent market demand
• Expansion. This means re-tooling assembling lines to increase productivity
• Allocation of critical resources focused on ensuring the right quantities of supplies get to the right place, at the right time.

Questions about the distribution plan should be directed to the Office of External Affairs, Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs Division at (202) 646-3444 or at [email protected].