50,000 Face Masks Distributed To Manhattan Nursing Homes

MANHATTAN — 50,000 face masks were donated to several senior centers and nursing homes across Manhattan Friday.

According to Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer's office, Friday morning the Borough President received a donation of 50,000 masks from the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association.

After accepting the donation, the BP's office spend the next two hours giving the masks to several nearby senior centers and nursing homes including Jewish Home Lifecare, Greater Harlem Nursing Home and the Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center, among others.

Nursing homes and senior centers are of particular concern during the coronavirus outbreak because age and underlying health conditions are high risk factors for the virus. Several nursing homes across New York City have seen deadly outbreaks of the virus, including one Washington Heights nursing home that may have seen as many as 98 deaths over the past few weeks.

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Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have long held that even simple cloth masks or face coverings can be an effective way to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

To work, masks just need to:

• Fit snugly on the face and be secured in place
• Include several layers of fabric
• Allow for uninhibited breathing
• Be laundry safe

The CDC recommends users regularly wash or clean their masks to keep them sterile.