Coronavirus Update: Amazon Bans Sale Of N95 Masks To Public, Prioritizes Hospitals And Government Organizations

The current coronavirus pandemic has put extreme pressure on essential supplies to fight the virus. Amazon has decided to ban the sale of N95 masks to the general public. The company wants to focus on the delivery of essential items to hospitals, government organizations and other agencies battling COVID-19.

According to Recode, the ban also includes surgical gowns, facial shields, large-volume sanitizers, and surgical gloves. Government agencies and hospitals can fill out a form for purchasing these essential supplies to combat COVID-19.

The company also mentioned that it is not accepting orders from the general public and non-qualified bodies. “We are not accepting requests from individuals or non-qualified organizations at this time.”

Meanwhile, the eligible state and federal agencies are Department of Defense, Homeland Security and “all 50 states and the three federal agencies leading the nationwide COVID-19 response, specifically the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services.”

The health organizations include “U.S.-accredited hospitals, referencing the Commission of Medicare and Medicaid Services, including short-term acute care, academic medical centers, children’s hospitals and VA medical centers.”

Amazon also stated that it will remove the commission it usually takes from sellers.

After the coronavirus pandemic started, Amazon introduced drastic changes to tackle the increased demand. In March, the tech company said it will “temporarily prioritize” medical supplies, household essential, and other products in high demand.

“We are seeing increased online shopping, and as a result, some products, such as household staples and medical supplies, are out of stock,” an Amazon spokesperson stated.

In the latest update from Amazon’s Day One blog, the company is also donating N-95 masks to healthcare workers fighting this deadly virus.

“Any N-95 masks we receive we are either donating to healthcare workers on the front lines or making them available through Amazon Business to healthcare and government organizations at cost,” the Amazon team wrote in the post.