Pence explained that distribution of the face masks would be coordinated directly with the states that need them through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Pence said the federal government had ordered "hundreds of millions" of N95 masks for health care facilities across the country, but he wasn't clear when they'd actually be delivered. He also encouraged anyone hoarding masks or sanitizer to donate them to hospitals.
With medical officials warning that they may run out of supplies soon, many states were looking to the White House to be more aggressive, but the president said companies were stepping up voluntarily. Trump cited Hanes and General Motors, which will make masks, explaining, "We want them on the open market from the standpoint of pricing."
In New York state alone, FEMA is expected to distribute a million masks, one of many measures being taken in the state after it was given a major disaster declaration on Friday, March 20, The New York Times reports. There are more 10,000 cases of infection there as of Saturday.
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