X

More St. Lawrence County crafters making face masks after Centers for Disease Control recommends their use

Posted 4/6/20

More St. Lawrence County crafters are answering the call for face masks, especially now that the Centers for Disease Control is recommending their use. “I'm definitely getting a lot more …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

More St. Lawrence County crafters making face masks after Centers for Disease Control recommends their use

Posted

More St. Lawrence County crafters are answering the call for face masks, especially now that the Centers for Disease Control is recommending their use.

“I'm definitely getting a lot more requests,” said Renee Stauffer, Lawrenceville, who has made about 140 masks so far.

“At first it was only nurses, but with the new CDC recommendation, I've been getting requests from lots of other people as well.”

She has sent masks to nurse friends in Nashville, New York City, and Harrisonburg, Va. “I made 40 masks for a group home in Potsdam, some for corrections officers, and some for friends. Currently I'm working on 60 masks for our employees at the farm,” said Stauffer.

Shay Anne Silver, Norfolk, has made 80 masks and has requests for about 20 more.

“I have given my masks to friends, family, local nurses, local dispatchers, moms and children who are immunocompromised,” she said.

“I have been giving them away. Some people have given donations of cloth, elastic or money, but I don’t ask for anything. It’s getting harder and harder to get supplies though. We are now cutting bungee cords, using hair ties, etc. I bought cloth today and it was scarce,” said Silver.

Joanna Penny-Tessier, also of Norfolk, has made 50 masks so far. She is selling them for $1 apiece to cover the cost of supplies to make more of the masks. “People in the community have been reaching out to me because they are in need of a face mask,” she said. “Any way that I can help, even if it’s a small notion.”

JoAnn Fabric and Craft in Ogdensburg has been offering free kits to people who want to make non-surgical face masks for health care workers. The bags each contain pre-cut fabric, elastic band and instructions.

The store will bring the kit out to your car. When finished, drop the masks off at the store and they will take them to the hospital.

“Everyone in the community is coming together to help. The output in the community is amazing,” said store manager Diane LaRue.

In light of new evidence, CDC is now recommending “wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

CDC also advises use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others. Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure.

Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance,” CDC posted online.

Help keep St. Lawrence County informed

Until now, advertising has provided the income to pay our news staff. But with a cutback in advertising due to the COVID-19 crisis, our ability to continue free news coverage is threatened.  Please donate to NorthCountryNow.com and North Country This Week so we can keep St. Lawrence County informed.  Thank you.