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FDA Authorizes Vital Mask Sanitation Technology Hours After Ohio Gov Appeals To Trump 

   DailyWire.com
US President Donald Trump speaks during a Coronavirus Task Force press briefing in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 29, 2020.
JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) signed off on the full use of vital mask sanitation technology hours after Republican Governor Mike DeWine (OH) appealed to President Donald Trump for assistance in the apparent dispute.

As noted by Business Journal Daily, the FDA originally authorized nonprofit Battelle Memorial Institute “to sterilize 10,000 surgical masks in Ohio daily, despite its ability to sterilize up to 160,000 masks daily in the state alone.”

Gov. DeWine slammed the agency in a statement on Sunday, calling the move “reckless.”

“The FDA’s decision to severely limit the use of this life-saving technology is nothing short of reckless,” the GOP governor said. “Battelle’s innovative technology has the capability to protect healthcare professionals and first responders in Ohio and across the country, but in this time of crisis, the FDA has decided not to support those who are risking their lives to save others.”

“This is a matter of life and death,” DeWine added. “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.”

Seeking authorization, DeWine then appealed directly to President Trump: “DeWine said he appealed directly to President Donald Trump to allow broader adoption of the system, and Ohio’s attorney general threatened to sue if FDA didn’t act quickly to authorize more extensive use,” reported Politico.

“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,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost posted to Twitter Sunday night.

“Hoping [Donald Trump] intervenes today — but if not, I’ve got my team researching a lawsuit for tomorrow,” the AG added.

Within hours, DeWine was able to obtain the full authorization, for which he specifically thanked President Trump and the FDA for acting quickly to reach resolve.

“I want to thank President Trump for his leadership and Dr. Hahn of the FDA for approving the use of this life-saving technology that Battelle has developed,” a statement from DeWine said, as reported by NBC4. “This will not only help Ohio’s healthcare workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, but Battelle will also be helping health care workers in hot spots throughout the country including New York and Washington state.”

“We‘re grateful that the President and the FDA moved quickly to help us get this solution back up and running,” added Lt. Governor Jon Husted. “This Ohio-driven solution has the potential to save lives now and in the future across the United States.”

Trump announced the advances during a press briefing on Monday.

“Each machine, now, can disinfect 120,000 masks per day. Now, think of that,” the president told the public, according to The Washington Examiner. “It’ll be just like a new one. It can go up to about 20 times for each mask. So, each mask can go through this process 20 times.”

“They have two in Ohio, one in New York, and one will soon be shipped to Seattle, Washington, and also to Washington, D.C. So, that’s going to make a tremendous difference,” Trump added.

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