DISTRIBUTION OF CLOTH FACIAL COVERINGS
[https://www.fema.gov/fact-sheet/distribucion-de-cubiertas-de-tela-para-la-cara]


Release Date: 
avr 28, 2020 

FEMA, THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (HHS), AND U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY CYBERSECURITY INFRASTRUCTURE AND
SECURITY AGENCY (CISA), ALONG WITH OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES, DISTRIBUTE
CLOTH FACIAL COVERINGS AS PART OF A MULTI-PRONG APPROACH TO RE-OPEN
AMERICAN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY WHILE CONTINUING TO LIMIT SPREAD OF
CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19).

Processing and shipping on the first allocation of face coverings
started April 16. The federal government delivery of facial coverings
is in a phased-approach for infrastructure workers, first responders,
and food producers who do not need medical-grade personal protective
equipment (PPE) for their daily work.

	* Our priority remains ensuring critical healthcare workers and first
responders have the necessary PPE to fight this pandemic and keep our
communities safe. 

 	* A key component of in our efforts to increase supply of PPE
available today and in the future is preservation of the PPE we
currently have access to. 
 	* Everyone who uses PPE are asked to learn how to safely preserve
supply inventory where possible by using the CDC’s Strategies to
Optimize the Supply of PPE and Equipment
[https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/index.html]
and following best practices on preserving PPE
[https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1587131519031-6501ee8a0ce72004832fa37141c53bc0/PPE_FACTSHEET.pdf].

	* Many of our infrastructure sectors must have access to facial
coverings in order to protect the workers and to ensure critical
services continue throughout our communities. 

 	* Distribution is based on CISA analysis of priority infrastructure
sectors.
 	* Priority infrastructure sectors included in the analysis are food
production and distribution, energy, water and wastewater treatment,
essential transportation and logistics, first responders,
communications, hazardous materials management, manufacturing of
medical supplies, and sanitation and disinfection supplies.
 	* This second proportioned allocation of 4.5 million cloth facial
coverings will be distributed to each state and territory’s Receipt,
Store, and Stage (RSS) sites or other designated location (as provided
by state/tribal officials). 

	* FEMA and HHS are also providing face coverings to federal
departments and agencies with mission essential functions to promote
health and safety in the workplace and in their execution of
public-facing missions. 

 	* THESE FACIAL COVERINGS ARE NOT REPLACEMENTS FOR MEDICAL-GRADE
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT that many who work in these
infrastructure areas already use. They are only to supplement
additional workforce in these areas who do not need medical-grade
equipment.