OHIO – Dewine said that he got a phone call this morning and he hoped it was what he had been lobbing for, approval of use of the Battelle’s system for front line first responders masks, but it was less than he expected, so much less Dewine said, “I was mad, this is reckless.”
Dewine immediately started moving calling people who could move on the decision the FDA made to limit the use of the Battelle’s system.
Hope the FDA can approve Mask Sterilization equipment ASAP. As per Governor @MikeDeWine, there is a company in Ohio, @Battelle, which has equipment that can sterilize masks quickly.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020
The FDA did approve of the use of the system to sterilize masks for reuse but limited it to 10,000 masks and Dewine said that isn’t enough.
“If Battelle’s technology for sterilizing face masks for re-use works safely, limiting it to only 10,000 a day is foolish, If it doesn’t, allowing it at all is reckless,” said Dave Yost in a Tweet.
If Battelle’s technology for sterilizing face masks for re-use works safely, limiting it to only 10,000 a day is foolish.
If it doesn’t, allowing it at all is reckless.
Hoping @realDonaldTrump intervenes today — but if not, I’ve got my team researching a lawsuit for tomorrow.
— Dave Yost (@Yost4Ohio) March 29, 2020
Dewine said he called the president this morning saying that he would file a lawsuit if the President doesn’t intervene.
“This is a matter of life and death. I am not only disappointed by this development, but I’m also stunned that the FDA would decline to do all it can to protect this country’s frontline workers in this serious time of need,” said Dewine.
President Trump defended Dewine’s position saying, “Hope the FDA can approve Mask Sterilization equipment ASAP. As per Governor @MikeDeWine, there is a company in Ohio, @Battelle, which has equipment that can sterilize masks quickly.”
No word from the Food and Drug Administration’s part yet.
