More than 1,000 sign up for emergency blood drive at PNC Arena

At 7 a.m., the large parking lot was full of mobile blood drive units. At 7 a.m., The Blood Connection reported a total of 1,013 people signed up to give blood on Thursday. Although there are no more appointment slots, organizers said they will accept walk-ins the entire day.

Major precautions will be taken to ensure all donors and staff practice social distancing. The appointment system helps staff stagger donors, and The Blood Connection is asking people to wait in their cars until a text message alerts them it is their turn to give blood.

The phlebotomists drawing blood will use masks and gloves to protect donors.

Here's where, when to donate blood, answer Red Cross' urgent call

So far, The Blood Connection has seen a 9,000-pound deficit in blood because businesses are closed canceling drives. The American Red Cross reports that 6,000 blood drives — many of which involve workplace donations or community events — have been canceled because people are staying home.

Blood drive organizers said there’s also a general fear associated with giving blood during the coronavirus.

“We want to make sure we can supply all of our hospitals with with their blood products," said Brian Lewis from The Blood Connection. "We know at this time we have to take every precaution, and we want to make sure hospitals are not without these blood products that they need.”

According to the CDC, coronavirus is not transmitted through blood or a blood transfusion.

”We’ve been working closely with the CDC and FDA and they’ve shown that there’s no transmission of coronavirus through blood transfusion," Lewis said. "We’re taking every precaution we can, but so far, there are no cases that show coronavirus can be split spread through blood transfusion.”