PPE in The Garbage, and "A Lack of Willing Takers"

This is so disgraceful and scandalous:

"States trash masks and pandemic gear as huge stockpiles linger and expire."

This country has done a terrible job of monitoring necessary supplies, whether it be PPE shortages,  drug shortages, or vaccine delays.  Who's in charge, anyway?

"When the coronavirus pandemic took hold in an unprepared U.S., states scrambled for masks and other protective gear.

"Three years later, as the grips of the pandemic have loosened, many states are now trying to deal with an excess of protective gear, ditching their supplies in droves.

"With expiration dates passing and few requests to tap into its stockpile, Ohio auctioned off 393,000 gowns for just $2,451 and ended up throwing away another 7.2 million, along with expired masks, gloves and other materials. The now expiring supplies had cost about $29 million in federal money.

"A similar reckoning is happening around the country. Items are aging, and as a deadline to allocate federal COVID-19 cash approaches next year, states must decide how much to invest in maintaining warehouses and supply stockpiles.

"An Associated Press investigation found that at least 15 states, from Alaska to Vermont, have tossed some of their trove of PPE because of expiration, surpluses and a lack of willing takers."

If we get hit by new COVID variants that defy vaccines and immunity, these same people will be wishing they HAD decided to stock up, but for them it will be too late.