COVID-19 in Oregon: Chinese nonprofit donates 3,000 N95 masks to Salem Health

Arranging for a shipment of more than 12,000 N95 respirator face masks, in the middle of a pandemic, sounds next to impossible. But a tenacious Oregon nonprofit with connections in China pulled it off, and now medical personnel at five hospitals will be better protected in the ongoing battle against COVID-19.

The order for the N95 masks was placed on March 24, leading to a shipping process rife with challenges. Several entities assisted along the way, including Oregon Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, COVID-19 Relief Imports, and FedEx headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee.