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NC reaches PPE distribution milestone

State health officials say they've distributed 8 million masks and other supplies to schools, adult care facilities and agricultural operations around North Carolina.

Posted Updated
Face masks
By
Laura Leslie
, WRAL Capitol Bureau chief
RALEIGH, N.C. — State health officials say they've distributed 8 million masks and other supplies to schools, health care and adult care facilities and agricultural operations around North Carolina.

The number includes 3.5 million reusable cloth face coverings and 4.5 million medical procedure masks sent out since March, when the coronavirus outbreak began in the state. Some 7 million pairs of gloves have also been distributed, along with 650,000 face shields and 600,000 shoe covers.

The personal protective equipment, or PPE, distribution program is managed by the state Division of Emergency Management and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Karen Burkes, deputy director of the Division of Mental Health, has been handling the logistics, assisted for the last several months by the North Carolina National Guard.

Their top priority at the beginning of the outbreak was health care and adult care facilities. Once those needs were met, they moved on to agricultural and meatpacking operations, working with North Carolina Cooperative Extension and the state Farmworkers Health program to get the supplies to workers in high-risk settings.

All 4,200 child care facilities that were open as of July have also received PPE and cleaning supplies, and the state's court system will receive 300,000 face coverings per month to hand out to visitors.

Schools were also high on the list. Burkes said the state has sent out a first shipment of PPE supplies to almost all public school systems.

"We initially started out giving school nurse starter packs," Burkes said. "That’s some face shields, masks and gowns and a couple of thermometers to get them started."

When that round was completed, with the new school year beginning soon, they shifted focus to students and school staff.

"We provided five face coverings for each student, teacher and staff," she said. "Now, we’re in the process of doing the same thing for private schools as well."

Some of the PPE distributed so far was donated by the federal government, but Burkes said officials also have been working to identify vendors that can supply future needs.

"Honestly, that’s a question that comes up a lot," she said. "Organizations just need a better idea of where they can actually buy it."

The focus now, she said, is on finding community-based organizations to partner with that can get supplies to people who can't afford them, in at-risk groups like homeless shelters and hard-to-reach places like immigrant farming communities.

"It's going to take some time, but we're working hard to reach everyone – as many people as we can," Burkes said.

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