Pentagon awards $134 million for medical supplies for U.S. nursing homes

FILE PHOTO: A man with a mask stands behind a sign advertising the Sapphire Center nursing home after reports of a number of deaths there came to light during an ongoing outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Brooklyn borough of New York, U.S., April 17, 2020. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/File Photo

The Pentagon said on Wednesday it has awarded a $134 million contract to buy protective eyewear, gloves, gowns, and masks for medical personnel at over 15,000 U.S. nursing homes, as it helps gather medical equipment to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Deliveries of the equipment started this week in New York, New Jersey, Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia, said Lieutenant Colonel Mike Andrews, a Department of Defense spokesman.

FILE PHOTO: National Guard soldiers prepare to enter the Cobble Hill Health Center nursing home during the ongoing outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Brooklyn borough of New York, U.S., April 17, 2020. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/File Photo

The delivery locations for the 1.2 million goggles, 64.4 million pairs of gloves 12.8 million gowns and 1.8 million masks will be designated by FEMA. Delivery across the United States and its territories will be completed by the end of June, Andrews said in a statement.

The contract was awarded to Federal Resources Supply Company by the Defense Logistics Agency, in coordination with FEMA and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

(Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by David Gregorio)