Supporting the Valley’s front-line responders!

April 1, 2020

Coronavirus protective equipment donated to Valley’s front-line responders

By Michael P. Mayko CT Post

DERBY — For the second time in a week, the region’s Chinese American community has donated personal protective equipment to those on the front lines of the battle against a rising tide of coronavirus cases.

On Friday, State Sen. George Logan, R-Ansonia, delivered 7,760 face masks, 1,420 pairs of gloves, 200 shoe covers, hand wipes and sanitizer to Griffin Hospital cpllected from a community that had donated 1,000 pounds of food to the Salvation Army food bank in Ansonia.

 

Patrick Charmel, president and chief executive officer of Griffin Hospital and State Sen. George Logan, R-Ansonia, count the boxes.

“These supplies are very helpful in us maintaining an adequate supply of personal protective equipment,” said Patrick Charmel, president and chief executive officer of Griffin Hospital. “We’re using 300 to 400 isolation masks a day and we expect that to grow to well over 1,000 a day as we see more cases.”

He said “all hospitals are struggling to find supplies of isolation masks, gowns and gloves.

“The supply chain has been disrupted so donations from the public and the business community are helpful in supplementing our quantity,” he said.

Griffin’s drive-in testing center in the hospital parking lot is averaging about 30 tests a day, he said. Of those, about 12 percent are testing positive for the COVID-19 virus, although most of those tested have exhibited mild symptoms. As of March 27, he said, only a handful of people have had to be hospitalized.

“We expect to see more cases in the comings weeks, which is why we need to build up our supplies of personal protective equipment,” he said.

Logan said the New Haven Chinese Alliance Church purchased and donated 2,900 of the masks and Peter Chang’s Restaurant through Long Sun of Trumbull purchased and donated another 1,000.

“We purchased the Russian-made masks from Seattle,” Sun said. “They are designed by 3M and compatible to the N95.”

Sun, who is a shareholder in the restaurant, said the community’s Chinese Americans are concerned that the contagion situation in the United States is worsening.

“We want to help as much as we can,” he said. “My daughter was born in this hospital.”

The Home Depot in Derby has donated 120 P100 masks, 40 N95 masks and P100 cartridge refills to PhysicianOne Urgent Care in Derby as well as masks and face shields to the Derby Police department and the Storm Ambulance Corps.

“It’s always been a part of Home Depot’s core values of giving back and doing the right thing as well as taking care of our people and building stronger relationships throughout our communities,” said Shawn Quinn, the store’s manager. “During these difficult times, it is important for us to honor our everyday heroes such as our first responders.”

He said PhysicianOne Urgent Care is a health care facility that many of their employees and customers use.

“Providing them with life-saving equipment during this pandemic is the least we can do,” Quinn said.

Anyone seeking to donate materials to Griffin Hospital may call 203-732-7539 or go online at [email protected]