NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — The Massachusetts Nurses Association handed out hundreds of KN95 masks Wednesday to nurses at two Southcoast hospitals. As 25 Investigates reported Monday, some nurses claim the rationing of the important piece of PPE was placing them of danger.
>> 25 Investigates: Mass. nurses say rationing of N95s putting them at risk
Boston 25 News was outside Saint Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford Wednesday as the masks were given out. Nurses who work there and at Tobey Hospital in Wareham said that those who got an KN95 varied from shift to shift and unit to unit. They said at this point, all patients should be considered positive for COVID-19 and proper precautions should be taken.
“If you come in and we’re ruling you out for COVID, so we come in and we suspect you have it and we’re testing, you don’t get a mask until we actually know for sure that you’re positive with COVID. So in the meantime, you’re just wearing your surgical mask and you’re not as protected and ultimately, you may be positive so this way nurses can have the protection we think everybody needs,” said Kim Beaulieu, MNA.
Southcoast Health operates both hospitals. They say they have their nurses’ backs and are sourcing, properly using and conserving supplies in anticipation of a projected surge.
Download the free Boston 25 News app for up-to-the-minute push alerts
>> Complete local and national coronavirus coverage here
RESOURCES:
- Massachusetts Coronavirus Information
- Boston Coronavirus Information
- Follow us on Facebook and Twitter | Watch Boston 25 NOW
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
