Crunching Numbers: U.S. in urgent need of masks, China steps up to meet global demand

Now, people across the U.S. are sewing face masks. Factories in the U.S., which usually mass-produce hoodies and T-shirts, are re-manufacturing masks to alleviate shortages to fight coronavirus.

As of March 29, cases of COVID-19 confirmed in the U.S. topped 142,000. In early March, the U.S. excluded Chinese face masks and some other medical equipment from tariffs and began to take steps to tackle the dire shortages.

On Sunday, 130,000 N95 masks, 1.7 million surgical masks and other medical supplies from China arrived in the United States. The plane landed at John F. Kennedy airport carrying these goods for distribution in the country's three hardest-hit states: New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

How desperately do Americans need face masks? Click here for more.