To help alleviate the growing demand of personal protective equipment (PPE) amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Taft Law’s Minneapolis team donated nearly 3,500 N95 and Isofluid respiratory masks to the Salvation Army Northern Division. The organization will distribute these critically-needed masks as needed.

Purchased in 2009 by Briggs and Morgan—which combined with Taft Law on Jan. 1, 2020, the respiratory masks were initially intended as a precautionary measure during the H1N1 pandemic. Once rediscovered, Taft Facilities Director Julie Munneke and colleague Cynthia Trana notified Taft Minneapolis Partner Justin Weinberg about the opportunity to donate the masks in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 “We purchased the masks as a safeguard for staff,” explains Weinberg. “We knew donating these masks would make a small but positive impact for our healthcare professionals, and contacted the state of Minnesota to determine the best way to get the masks to our local healthcare professionals.With the important role the Salvation Army Northern Division is playing in the collection of PPEs, we immediately brought the masks to their headquarters to be circulated to the Minnesota healthcare community.”

According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), N95 masks provide respiratory protection for wearers from airborne particles and liquids that may be contaminated. The masks give healthcare providers, first responders and other medical personnel critical protection as they treat a growing wave of COVID-19 patients. According to the Center for Disease Control and Minnesota Department of Health, there are 140,904 cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and 576 cases in Minnesota as of noon on March 30, 2020.

“Taft will continue to identify ways to help our community, clients and healthcare professionals during this public health crisis,” states Taft Chief Strategy Officer and Taft COVID-19 Task Force member Ann Rainhart. “We are grateful to our healthcare community for their courageous work and grateful to have the ability to donate needed masks to protect them as they continue to work on the front lines.”