Donations help protect first responders in Utah against COVID-19
Apr 6, 2020, 3:16 PM | Updated: 5:28 pm
Donations of hand sanitizer, masks, and gloves are dropped off at the office of the Utah Attorney General. They will be donated to law enforcement across the state. (Photo credit: KSL Newsradio reporter Mary Richards)
(Photo credit: KSL Newsradio reporter Mary Richards)
MURRAY — Utahns in the private sector have donated personal protective equipment to Utah law enforcement and other first responders who are the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Specifically, the private sector is ordering, gathering and donating masks and gloves. On Monday, thousands of these medical supplies were donated by PC Laptops to the Utah Attorney General’s Office.
“I want to re-emphasize our first priority is getting resources to our hospitals and our doctors and nurses,” said Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes.
“But while we are doing that, if you can find a way to support protecting our first responders, law enforcement personnel, EMTs, firefighters, please do that also. We need to protect everyone who is out there responding to emergencies.”
“We have to stick together”
The president of PC Laptops, Dan Young, says he’s participating in this drive for donations because people have to stick together.
“We have to band together to do what we can, and that’s how we’ll get through this,” Young said. “Whether it’s delivering food to the elderly, or helping with some of these masks, or being our law enforcement officers and brave doctors and nurses on the front lines – if everyone did something together, then we’ll get through this.”
Medical supplies collected by the private sector, in this instance PC Laptops, are dropped off at the offices of the Utah Attorney General.
Reyes says this is an ongoing campaign and he is hoping for even more donations from the private sector. To date, the AGs office has collected 5,000 masks, 1,500 pairs of gloves, and 530 bottles of hand sanitizer.
Quick distribution
The equipment is coming in waves of shipments. Reyes says that as they come in the door, they get them out to agencies around Utah
“Our rural communities, in particular, don’t have access to the resources. So my men and women, and myself, have been driving them around the state,” said Reyes.
“These are reusable, so they don’t need thousands of masks, they need hundreds of masks, and they can sanitize them after every use.”
Other companies like Sherwin Williams and Otterbox are also donating money and supplies.
Donations for more masks and equipment can be made at this GoFundMe campaign.*
*KSL NewsRadio does not assure that the money deposited to a GoFundMe account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
How To Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 Coronavirus
COVID-19 coronavirus is transmitted from person to person. It is a virus that is similar to the common cold and the flu. So, to prevent it from spreading:
- Wash hands frequently and thoroughly, with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds.
- Don’t touch your face.
- Keep children and those with compromised immune systems away from someone who is coughing or sneezing (in this instance, at least six feet)
- If there is an outbreak near you, practice social distancing (stay at home, instead of going to the movies, sports events, or other activities.)
- Get a flu shot.
Resources for more information:
State of Utah: https://coronavirus.utah.gov/
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Utah Coronavirus Information Line – 1-800-456-7707
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
