Pima County distributes PPE around area, now schools
By Megan McNeil| August 4, 2020 at 7:03 PM MST – Updated August 4 at 7:03 PM
TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) – Personal protection equipment like gloves and masks has been essential in helping slow the spread of COVID-19. It’s also been difficult for many—including government agencies to get a hold of. Now that supply chains are flowing again, Pima County is distributing PPE across the county for organizations, businesses, health care providers of all kinds and now schools.
Set up specifically to handle distribution of PPE during the pandemic, a warehouse in Pima County is stocked with supplies—for now.
“Everything we get in, we immediately push out,” said Krista Romero-Cardenas, Logistics Deputy Chief for Pima County Health Department’s emergency management team.
The National Guard and PCHD workers distribute PPE to those organizations that need it and are eligible for help from the county. Tuesday, charter and private schools picked up their allotted supplies—based on staffing levels. Districts received their allotment Friday. The Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind recently got their PPE.
“Things are very tight,” said Maria Murphy, Director of Policy and Government Relations for ASDB. “There are budget cuts at the state level, so anything that Pima County or other organizations can do to help is a huge, huge assistance to us.”
ASDB got a little more than $3,000 worth of PPE. Schools are getting supplies like masks, hand sanitizer, gloves and signage to hand in hallways. In all, the county is using about $167,000 dollars of CARES ACT funding to supply schools with PPE—an initiative that’s grown out of demand.
“It’s been a journey of adapting,” said Romero-Cardenas.
