On Monday afternoon, Pinal County received its allocation of the Strategic National Stockpile from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through Arizona Department of Health Services.

Utilizing the established Strategic National Stockpile Plan in place, county staff along with 20 volunteers from the Maricopa and Florence Community Emergency Response Teams were able to inventory and process all of the personal protective equipment and repackage to be distributed to public safety and healthcare partners, Pinal County Communications and Marketing said in a release.

Staff and volunteers were able to begin delivery of those supplies to two of the county's healthcare providers and one of the tribes. Fifteen additional deliveries were scheduled for Tuesday, March 24.

The Strategic National Stockpile is a supply of life-saving pharmaceuticals and medical supplies for use in a public health emergencies severe enough to cause local supplies to run out, according to phe.gov/about/sns/Pages/default.aspx.