BROOKLINE, MASS. (WHDH) - From the corner of her Brookline home, one woman is putting a call out on Twitter for people to download a free facemask pattern online and put their hands to work.
CJ Jensen is looking to end the shortage of protective gear for healthcare workers one stitch at a time and she is looking for others who can join her by donating fabric, cutting, and sewing face masks.
“Life is a give and take and the more we can give back to people the better we all are,” Jensen said.
She put her call for help on social media, hoping to attract a wide range of people to her cause.
“Between three clinics we have about 200 to 250 masks that need to be made in the next week and I imagine that number will grow,” she said.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh put out the call earlier in the week to construction workers to donate any supplies they may have.
“Some of its on your shelves … and we’re asking you … who are saving lives here,” he said during a press conference.
The President of Massachusetts Medical Society, Dr. Maryanne Bombaugh, said, supplies are low and the production of personal protective equipment or PPE needs to happen now.
“We can do none of our work without PPE,” she said. “Our community health centers in Massachusetts have a two week supply end of the story of PPE, 12 day supply of masks, 11 day supply of gowns.”
7NEWS spoke with the President of Massachusetts General Hosptial, Dr. Peter Slavin, about the creative ways they are being forced to interact with coronavirus patients due to the shortage of essential equipment.
“For patients with COVID-19, we’re establishing video intercom system so they can communicate with their nurses and doctors through an iPad and that decreases the number of times staff needs to go into rooms and allows them to conserve PPE,” he explained.
As of Friday afternoon, Mass. General is treating six patients who have tested positive for the disease.
One hundred and nine are still waiting to be tested.
“Just letting people know there is a need. If you’ve got hands you can cut stuff,” Jensen said.
Anyone looking to pitch in with mask making efforts in Boston and New England is asked to fill out this form https://forms.gle/fT26vzU53Hd4pbPS7
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