US: Face masks found littered on highway after reports of shortage amid COVID-19 crisis

While healthcare workers around the world are struggling with the shortage of PPEs, hundreds of face masks were recently found littered on a highway in California. While face masks have been made compulsory in several countries in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19, the California Highway Patrol took to Facebook recently to share pictures of hundreds of medical masks littered on a state highway. The CHP informed that the incident led to chaos on the road and caused a traffic jam as passerby stopped to pick them up. 

The highway patrol authorities haven’t confirmed how the masks ended up on the busy road. However, several international media outlets have reported that a man was spotted unloading boxes of the masks from a white truck onto the road. One outlet also mentioned the possibility that the face masks may have slipped from the man’s truck. CHP is currently investigating the matter. 

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The CHP said, “Hayward CHP received a call of a large number of medical masks on I-880 Southbound, south of Whipple Road. Multiple individuals stopped in lanes and stepped out of their vehicles to pick up masks. Cal-Trans responded to the scene with a sweeper to clean up the debris”. 

The further added, “All lanes are now open. CHP Hayward wants to remind you it is never safe to step out of your vehicle on an active freeway. Please remain in your vehicles for your safety so CHP can handle any debris calls”. 

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39 million N95 masks in 90 days

The United States currently has more than one million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and struggling to contain the spread of the deadly virus. In a bid to provide citizens and healthcare workers with appropriate medical face masks, US President Donald Trump last month also announced that his administration had finalised contracts to produce 39 million N95 masks.

Trump revealed that the whole production would take place in a short span of 90 days. As of now the COVID-19 pandemic has infected 1,121,712 people and resulted in 65,315 fatalities across the 50 US states. 

Trump recently also indicated that the stay-at-home order might be extended beyond May 1, but advocated the need to gradually open up the economy. He said, “Safe and phased reopening of our economy it's very exciting, but it does not mean that we are letting down our guard at all in any way; on the contrary, continued diligence is an essential part of our strategy to get our country back to work to take our country back”. 

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