BY BENJAMIN MANDILE
Queens College’s School of Mathematics and Sciences stepped up to help take control of the impending shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) New York City hospitals are facing in the coming weeks in the fight against coronavirus (COVID-19).
Professors, faculty and lab technicians scoured their laboratories for usable materials for the “frontline workers” and medical professionals, according to a representative from the Queens borough president’s office.
The donation comes in response to a call from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio, each of whom called for donations from New Yorkers as the number of PPEs in hospitals starts to dwindle.
“Messages such as, ‘Now I remember that I always kept as emergency backup [a] few boxes of disposable lab coats,’ and ‘The cases (not open) of gloves are kept on the shelves. You can give all the cases’” were sent in emails between professors, faculty, college lab technicians and campus security on Saturday.
Acting Queens Borough President Sharon Lee lauded the effort and said it was a “brilliant” and “swift” move on the part of the college.
NYC Emergency Management officials picked up the supplies Sunday to “funnel” them to those in need.
“We hope this inspires similar actions throughout Queens,” said Lee. “Against COVID-19, every effort helps bend the curve and will save precious lives. We can make a bigger impact against the curve if we act together and act now.”
