The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) organized a series of meetings to initiate a Voluntary Agreement aimed at ensuring the availability of essential healthcare resources during pandemics. These meetings, which took place in early January 2021, were part of an effort to prioritize the production and distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in response to COVID-19. The objectives included setting priorities for PPE and identifying necessary tasks while safeguarding trade secrets and sensitive information by keeping the meetings closed to the public. This initiative falls under the Defense Production Act, which allows for such agreements to strengthen national defense efforts.
Simple Explanation
FEMA had some secret meetings to make sure important health stuff like masks and gloves can be made and shared during a big sickness. They didn't invite everyone because they were talking about secret information, and they have special rules that let them do that.