Personal protective equipment (PPE) is needed across the country to treat people with COVID-19, and in Washington County five shipments of PPE have come from the state. Four of those shipments have been delivered by the National Guard. Washington County Emergency Management Coordinator Marissa Reisen says they’ve also seen local businesses donate items and people have donated home-made masks to assist those on the frontlines. Reisen helps distribute the PPE across the county based on priority and need in medical facilities, law enforcement, and funeral homes. The gowns help protect patients in the hospital and area nursing facilities, and they also protect medical staff.

She says right now they’re needing more gowns, “Because they’re reusable that extends the life of them significantly, and I know at some places what they have for cloth gowns they’re washing a couple of times a day to make sure that they are able to care for their patients properly.” She adds that last week it was estimated that the state would get about one-million gowns, but the number received was only about a quarter of that. Guidance has been issued by the state on how people can sew gowns at home to donate, click here for that guidance.

As of Wednesday, Washington County has 101 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 60 of those people have recovered and there have been four deaths.