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Pennsylvania Spent $35M On Plastic Face Shields In Early '20

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A tally by The Associated Press shows that nearly a third of the $110 million that Pennsylvania spent on personal protective equipment and ventilators in the early months of the pandemic went toward face shields.

They are a relatively niche item for which there wasn't as much demand as for other kinds of personal protective equipment.

Officials say part of the reason state government spent so much money on face shields is that's what was available amid the national rush to find medical equipment.

Spending on N95 and similar masks, for which there was much greater need, was just over $22 million over the same period.

(Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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