Doctors and nurses treating coronavirus patients are running through protective gear, especially masks.
But some help is on the way through Delaware.
A truckload of about 600,000 ear-loop face masks arrived at D&S Warehousing in Christiana, not too far from Christiana Hospital.
George Gianforcaro, a protective garment distributor and longtime friend of Sen. Chris Coons (D-Delaware), says Tuesday’s delivery is one of four shipments of protective masks going to Delaware, Louisiana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Utah.
Gianforcaro, INDUTEX USA president, uses his established contacts around the world to secure the masks,which he says are certified.
"They're FDA-approved. One of the things I require is an FDA certificate. I like it to be CE certified which is a European approval. So, those are the requirements that I've made to the factories," said Gianforcaro. "There was one factory called me the other day they said 'I've got 500,000 masks' and I said 'Do you have the FDA certificate, FDA logo?' And they said 'No, we don't.' I said that I don't want it because I know that it's going to end up at a hospital at some point."
Gianforcaro expects over 2 million more masks this week and another 3 million next week. Future shipments coming to the warehouse will also include N95 masks, COVID-19 test kits, isolation gowns, face shields, goggles, and respirators.
The Delaware resident wanted to make sure some are distributed in the First State, and that prompted him to contact Sen. Coons.
"I picked up the phone and texted him, I just sold 20 million masks to other parts of the United States, what can we do to get the masks here in Delaware and stay here? And Chris said I'll get you in touch with someone immediately, and that was about two or three days ago, so all of this is happening.“
Coons is urging hospitals to quickly act, and send in purchase orders if they need the masks.
“We're literally taking samples over to the hospital to say, here's your sample, give him a PO or they're all going somewhere else," said Coons.
Coons adds Carney and DEMA will work with hospitals and Gianforcaro to make sure some equipment stays in Delaware.
