WH nixed plan to distribute 650 million face masks through USPS, says report

The United States Postal Service (USPS) had planned to distribute 650 million face coverings for the Trump administration in April to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. But these plans were sadly scrapped by the White House.

A report by The Washington Post has claimed that the plan was called off because the White House apparently didn't want to spark "concern or panic" among Americans.

"There was concern from some in the White House Domestic Policy Council and the office of the vice president that households receiving masks might create concern or panic," one administration official told the Post.

The Postal Service was doing this in partnership with the White House Coronavirus Task Force, the Department of Health and Human Services and "a consortium of textile manufacturers."

USPS was planning to ship the masks in April and was going to prioritise areas "which HHS has identified as experiencing high transmission rates of Covid-19."

A separate draft media response statement said the packages would include "five reusable face cloths, which can be used up to 15 times each."

The scrapped plan adds to a growing list of steps the administration didn't take earlier this year that may have helped slow the rapidly spreading virus.

The Post noted that at the time, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "had been working on coronavirus guidance that recommended face coverings, a reversal of its previous position, in the face of mounting evidence that people could spread the coronavirus without experiencing symptoms."

The HHS thereafter created Project America Strong, a $675 million effort to distribute 'reusable cotton face masks to critical infrastructure sectors, companies, healthcare facilities, and faith-based and community organizations across the country.

About 600 million of the 650 million masks ordered have since been distributed, including 125 million set aside for schools.