FBI has ordered $40,000 in hand sanitizer and face masks ‘in case the coronavirus becomes a pandemic in the United States

[Treyfish]

THU, FEB 20 202012:30 PM EST
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has ordered $40,000 of hand sanitizer and face masks “in case the coronavirus becomes a pandemic in the United States,” according to the acquisition document.

The FBI’s “pandemic preparedness” supply order includes face masks from manufacturer 3M and disinfectants, including hand sanitizer, from PDI Healthcare, the document said. In its purchase order, the FBI said it needs to have those items on hand if the coronavirus, or COVID-19, spreads widely throughout the U.S. The Trump administration last month declared the virus a public health emergency, but it’s not yet met world health officials’ designation of a global pandemic that spreads widely throughout the world.

The masks and disinfectants “are to be stored throughout the country for distribution in the event of a declared pandemic,” according to the document, which was signed Friday and gave the companies a week to fulfill the order. The document said the “supplies are for the FBI strategic stockpile for Pandemic Preparedness.”...:tiphat:https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/20/fbi...-in-case-of-a-coronavirus-pandemic-in-us.html

 

[kiwibird]

THU, FEB 20 202012:30 PM EST
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has ordered $40,000 of hand sanitizer and face masks “in case the coronavirus becomes a pandemic in the United States,” according to the acquisition document.

The FBI’s “pandemic preparedness” supply order includes face masks from manufacturer 3M and disinfectants, including hand sanitizer, from PDI Healthcare, the document said. In its purchase order, the FBI said it needs to have those items on hand if the coronavirus, or COVID-19, spreads widely throughout the U.S. The Trump administration last month declared the virus a public health emergency, but it’s not yet met world health officials’ designation of a global pandemic that spreads widely throughout the world.

The masks and disinfectants “are to be stored throughout the country for distribution in the event of a declared pandemic,” according to the document, which was signed Friday and gave the companies a week to fulfill the order. The document said the “supplies are for the FBI strategic stockpile for Pandemic Preparedness.”...:tiphat:https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/20/fbi...-in-case-of-a-coronavirus-pandemic-in-us.html

From a bulk order 20l of Hand Gel would give 388 20l - at around $100 per 20l or

Respirator half masks are around $23 retail - you could buy 1740 respirators for $40,000, p3 Disposable masks retail at around $5 - so say half price $2.50 - gives 16,000 masks! Not even enough disposables for every member of staff!

Even if they get a really good discount, say half retail, $40,000 you would get 2000 reusable respirators for the FBI's 35,000 staff. They would also be able to provide 15 litres of sanitizer per establishment (some of these buildings are huge)- about 200ml (a cup full) to each member of staff.

The FBI is headquartered at the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, D.C., with 56 field offices in major cities across the United States. The FBI also maintains over 400 resident agencies across the United States, as well as over 50 legal attach?s at United States embassies and consulates.

It does not seem enough!

 

[etudiant]

Agree entirely that that the order size is tiny, which makes it especially surprising that the FBI had to go to the manufacturers.
Under normal circumstances, any large retail chain would have this order and manage the distribution. Here we have the FBI jumping the queue to get a resupply. That indicates there is no free supply in the distribution network any more. Mask prices are likely to rise sharply.