U.S. officials are reportedly set to invoke a law that would protect companies from antitrust regulations to keep medical supplies available during pandemics.
The Associated Press reported that the government began formal discussions with private industry representatives yesterday, the subject of those discussions centering around a five-year agreement that would ensure supplies of protective materials, medical equipment, medicine and vaccines.
According to the report, the agreement involves a provision of the Defense Production Act that President Trump invoked recently in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The provision enables competitive businesses and the government to discuss price and supply without flouting antitrust regulations, Federal Emergency Management Agency senior official Joel Doolin told the AP.
Over the course of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there have been numerous reports of equipment shortages and insufficient supplies as healthcar…