The American Dental Association is distributing 350,000 KN95 masks it received from the national stockpile to dentists in states most in need of personal protective equipment, according to a June 5 new release.
The ADA obtained the masks from the HHS, Federal Emergency Management Agency and White House COVID-19 response task force. HHS promised to provide more masks in regular installments, and FEMA vowed to release up to 1.5 million more masks in the future.
The ADA included 17 states and one territory in the first wave invited to receive masks, determined by results from a survey the organization conducted on which states lack PPE the most. The masks are free; recipients will only need to pay for shipping.
"Our main goals remain to get the masks to dentists in states we know are broadly open for patients and who have not received PPE from other sources," Jim Goodman, senior vice president of ADA Business Group, said in a news release. "We wish we could provide masks to all dentists, but right now there is a limited supply. We will continue working with federal agencies to secure more PPE."
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