The Chinese Club of Western New York has ordered and will distribute 14,000 masks to local doctors and hospitals due to a lack of medical supplies in the area during the coronavirus outbreak.
President of the CCWNY, Yanhong Baranski, says they have already distributed 1,000 masks for community use at Buffalo Medical Group in Williamsville. Three thousand more masks arrived on Monday and will be delivered to Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital.
Baranski anticipates the CCWNY will have 10,000 more masks available for distribution to hospitals in the next week.
“We are Chinese, but we are also Americans and Buffalonians,” Baranski said in a statement. “We love this country and care for people here. We should not fight, we should love each other.”
This announcement comes the same day that Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz authorized the purchase of 400,000 N95 masks approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health from an international manufacturer for $1.1 million. Initial shipment of those masks is expected to be on April 11.
