The Pentagon is seeking to supply 100,000 military-grade body bags that could be used for civilians as officials caution the death toll from coronavirus could spike in the coming weeks.
The Defense Department on Thursday said it is “currently responding” to a request by the Federal Emergency Management Agency which requested the body bags, otherwise known as human remains pouches.
“The Department of Defense and the Defense Logistics Agency have a longstanding arrangement with FEMA to procure key commodities from DLA’s industrial partners during crisis response operations,” a Pentagon spokesperson said in a statement Thursday morning.
“DLA is currently responding to FEMA’s prudent planning efforts for 100,000 pouches to address mortuary contingencies on behalf of state health agencies.”
Earlier this week, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Dr. Deborah Birx, the U.S. coronavirus response coordinator, delivered sobering projections that showed between 100,000 and 240,000 people in the U.S. could die as a result of the virus even if people practice proper social distancing techniques.
Amid the U.S.’ domestic response to the global pandemic, the Pentagon supplied two military hospital ships to New York and Los Angeles this week to care for non-coronavirus patients as hospitals grapple with rising COVID-19 patients and diminishing supply.
President Trump on Wednesday said the Pentagon could soon undertake work on two more ships of similar size and with similar medical capabilities.
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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