The move will “provide protection to manufacturers that will enable production of millions of additional masks for our healthcare providers,” according to a White House statement.
The executive order comes as health systems around the country grapple with dwindling supplies of protective N95 face masks, which filter out about 95 percent of all airborne particles.
The president is expected to announce another order insisting on American-made medical supplies and pharmaceuticals in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Fox News reports.
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