(Radio Iowa) – New data from the federal government shows a segment of Iowa nursing homes are still struggling to acquire personal protective equipment for staff. Nursing homes were required to file a report to the U.S. Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services about P-P-E stockpiles. The data from Iowa’s 434 nursing homes shows 15 percent have less than a week’s supply of surgical masks and 26 percent lack a week’s supply of the N-95 masks which provide a higher level of protection.

Smaller percentages of nursing homes in the six states that surround Iowa reported having less than a week’s worth of face masks on hand for employees.