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COVID-19 Update: Local Manufacturer Joins With Onondaga County To Make Masks

CDC

A local manufacturer is stepping up to make personal protective equipment for healthcare workers. Tessy Plastics has designed masks and partnered with Onondaga County to get them to hospitals across Central New York.

 

Tessy Vice President of Sales and Marketing Jud Vann said the three piece mask was just developed over the last few days. 

“The County Executive’s office has kicked off a purchase order through Tessy,” said Vann. “And now we’ll be making about 30,000 units of this to start.”

Vann said they’ll start production at the earliest on Friday. 

Cases do continue to rise in Onondaga County. County Executive Ryan McMahon reported 21 new cases in the county, for a total of 249. McMahon pointed out it's more cases than the state of Delaware among others, and future federal relief funding needs to acknowledge that some places are more impacted than others.

 

"Our County is 467,000 people. We don't meet that half a million criteria that is there for a lot of funding," said McMahon. We're really servicing all of Central and Northern New York right now. So I would love to see an accurate reflection of aid to us in this next package because we're getting hit. We're getting hit hard. We're spending a lot of money."

McMahon said the federal funding has assisted many in the community already, namely with unemployment. The County Executive wants people to continue social distancing and monitoring their symptoms. Those who begin having common COVID-19 symptoms such as fever and dry cough, should contact their doctor or  the Upstate triage line.

This copy has been updated to correct "294 cases" to 249.

Katie Zilcosky is WAER’s All Things Considered host and features reporter. She also co-hosts WAER’s public affairs show Syracuse Speaks. As a reporter, she focuses on technology, economy, and identity.