US ‘likely’ to see shortages of pharmaceutical drugs

DAILY MAIL, 28TH June, 2020- The Department of Homeland Security has warned that the United States could see a shortage of generic pharmaceutical drugs if the coronavirus outbreak continues.   

According to the report, obtained by ABC News, the department said the country is already seeing shortages of more than 200 drugs and medical supplies due to strains caused by international shutdowns during the pandemic.   

Officials concluded that if the outbreak forces another round of widespread shutdowns, many US-based pharmaceutical companies would be ‘unable to quickly offset’.   

‘Chinese factories that produce raw ingredients for common antibiotics closed for weeks as of March and India’s lockdown extended until the end of May,’ the report said.   

According to officials, ‘France, Germany, and China have also considered re-imposing lockdown measures as COVID-19 cases have begun to re-emerge’.   

The report was released as US officials scramble to curb the virus in big states like Texas, Arizona and Florida, where thousands of new cases are reported daily.   

Rural states are also seeing surges of infections, including in Kansas.   

The coronavirus resurgence in the US has drawn concern from abroad. The European Union seems almost certain to bar Americans from travelling to the bloc in the short term as it draws up new travel rules to be announced soon.   

The surges of infections prompted Vice President Mike Pence to call off campaign events in Florida and Arizona, though he will still travel to those states and to Texas this week to meet with their Republican governors.