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As coronavirus cases spike nationwide, the Department of Defense has awarded a $3.5 million contract to boost mask production which is not set to be delivered upon until next year.
"Surgical masks are critical pieces of personal protective equipment for our nation's medical community on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic response," a statement from the DoD said.
Further outlining details of the contract, awarded to Crosstex International, Inc., it said the investment would be used to procure further machinery to boost mask production by an additional 100 million surgical units each year, describing the contract as a move to "increase domestic production of surgical masks."
The first machine is anticipated to be in use from May 2021, while the full set is not due in place until November next year.
"The increases to production will begin in May 2021, when Crosstex anticipates delivery of their first new machine line. The remaining three lines will be delivered and fully operational no later than November 2021," the DOD statement added.
The contract was awarded as part of a collaboration between the DOD and the Department of Health and Human Services (DOHHS). It was funded through the CARES Act.
DOD spokesperson Jessica Maxwell told Newsweek: "The global nature of the coronavirus pandemic has created shortages and bottlenecks across the manufacturing economy. The U.S. is one of many nations trying to address the shortage in domestically available PPE.
"The machines needed to produce PPE are in high demand, and the companies that make the machines are addressing demand not seen in many decades. As such, there are often delays in being able to procure and install new machinery to support increased capacity. The companies and the government are exploring all options to decrease the time from investment to impact."
Newsweek has contacted the DOHHS, and Crosstex for comment.
Medical professionals have repeatedly raised fears over personal protective equipment (PPE) running short.
A survey of U.S. nurses through April to June by National Nurses United (NNU) found that more than four fifths of respondents said they had been asked to reuse PPE at some point. NNU asked nearly 23,000 nurses about their experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
NNU president Deborah Burger previously said: "We're five months into this and there are still shortages of gowns, hair covers, shoe covers, masks, N95 masks.
"They're being doled out, and we're still being told to reuse them."
National Nurses United Executive Director Bonnie Castillo said in an earlier statement that "not enough has been done" in regards to protective equipment, commenting on nurses and health care workers "being told to reuse PPE until it is misshapen and falling apart."
"Nurses and health care workers play such a critical role in helping stop the spread of this virus, but only if we ourselves are protected on the front lines," Castillo said.
The Trump administration has previously faced criticism over the supply of such equipment, though officials have defended their work on boosting stockpiles.
There have been calls for the Defense Production Act to be utilized to ensure PPE supplies.
Newsweek has contacted NNU and the White House for comment.
COVID-19 cases across the U.S. have risen in recent weeks, as states have moved to reopen following lockdown measures implemented to stem the spread.
More than 3.7 million COVID-19 cases have been confirmed across the U.S. since the start of the outbreak, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
The graphic below, from Statista, shows the worst-hit states across the nation.
Update 7/21/20: This article was updated with a statement from the Department of Defense.
