Lori Trahan, Bernie Sanders file legislation to give N95 masks to every American

A Bay State rep is helping push a bill that would give all Americans access to high-quality masks free of charge.

“Masks save lives. As we face highly contagious coronavirus variants, it’s absolutely critical that every American has access to high-quality, protective N95 and KN95 masks to keep themselves and their loved ones safe,” said Congresswoman Lori Trahan, D-Westford, who re-introduced a bill to supply the masks for free.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who co-sponsored the bill, along with two other representatives, added, “We should remember that not all face masks are created equal.”

Sanders continued, “It is an absolute scandal that in the richest country in the history of the world, high-quality masks are not more readily available to frontline workers, health care workers and all Americans. We are proposing that we do what our public health experts and scientists say we must do: provide all of our people with high-quality, N95 masks without cost, which could prevent death and suffering and save huge amounts of health care dollars.”

N95 masks, the tight-fitting respirators typically worn by doctors and nurses, keep out up to 95% of air droplets and particles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They’re the recommended masks against the highly contagious omicron variant of the virus. KN95s are also effective at fighting COVID, but the CDC has said that about 60% of those masks sold in the U.S. are counterfeit and aren’t as effective at filtering COVID particles. KF94s and surgical masks are also effective against the virus, but single-layer cloth masks are now discouraged.

The bill, co-sponsored by 30 House members and 15 Senate members, would require the federal government to use $5 billion and “all available authorities,” including the Defense Production Act, to distribute three free N95s to each person in the U.S., including the unhoused and those in group settings such as prisons and assisted living facilities. It would also end reliance on foreign countries for the production of these masks.

The bill proposes using the United States Postal Service to distribute the masks, and allow for pick-up sites at places like post offices, pharmacies, public transportation stations and COVID testing sites.

It would also dictate masks to be delivered in a variety of sizes, including children’s sizes, and would ensure that they include information about the importance of wearing and proper usage of masks. The bill would also require weekly progress reports to Congress on the use of funds and actions taken to eliminate the nationwide mask shortage.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3qm1kAI