May 14 (UPI) — The federal government has given a $134 million contract to the Federal Resources Supply Co. to provide personal protective equipment kits for medical personnel at more than 15,000 nursing home locations.
The contract was awarded by the Pentagon’s Defense Logistics Agency, in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
According to the Pentagon, deliveries of the equipment — which includes 1.2 million goggles, 64.4 million pairs of gloves, 12.8 million gowns and 13.8 million masks for medical personnel at over 15,000 nursing home locations — started this week.
This week equipment is being delivered to New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia, with more being sent to locations to the United States, including Puerto Rico and Guam, by the end of June at FEMA-designated priority locations, according to the Department of Defense.
“The Department remains closely partnered with FEMA and HHS, providing almost $2.3 billion in lifesaving medical services, supplies and equipment to service members and federal agencies in the nation’s whole-of-government approach to the coronavirus pandemic,” Department of Defense spokesman Lt. Col. Mike Andrews said in a statement.
This is the third large contract the Pentagon has awarded in the past week for supplies to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
On Tuesday, the federal government announced it had awarded a $138 million contract to ApiJect Systems America to create a ready supply chain for prefilled syringes when a COVID-19 vaccine is available.
Additionally, 3M signed a $126 million deal to increase its production of N95 masks to 26 million per month beginning in October.