NBC News reports:
The federal government placed orders for well over 100,000 new body bags to hold victims of COVID-19 in April, according to internal administration documents obtained by NBC News, as well as public records. The biggest set was earmarked for purchase the day after President Donald Trump projected that the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus might not exceed 50,000 or 60,000 people.
That batch is a pending $5.1 million purchase order placed by the Department of Homeland Security on April 21 with E.M. Oil Transport Inc. of Montebello, California, which advertises construction vehicles, building materials and electronics on its website. The “human remains pouches” have not been paid for or shipped to the Federal Emergency Management Agency yet, according to the company’s marketing manager, Mike Pryor.
Documents: FEMA orders more than 100,000 body bags, bids contract for 200 cold trailers; task force warns that reopening could be stalled by fear of “catastrophic resurgence,” lack of available tests & treatment, “lack of trust in government messaging.”https://t.co/2enSk5ac9F
— Jonathan Allen (@jonallendc) May 1, 2020
The federal government has quietly ordered 100,000 more body bags, just as Trump touts plans to re-open economy https://t.co/YMKf61Aa6K
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) May 1, 2020