1.2 Million N95 Masks Came From China Aboard The New England Patriots’ Plane
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to escalate, the New England Patriots lent their plane to fly to China for much-needed supplies. According to a Patriots spokesperson, the teams Boeing 767 flew to China on April 1st to pick up 1.2 million N95 masks.
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker struck the deal over two weeks ago but needed a plane to go pick up the supplies.
Workers in full-body suits and masks were seen loading boxes on the plane at Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport. The aircraft was permitted to be on the ground in China for a maximum of 3 hours.
The crew was required to stay on the plane while workers loaded the cargo in 2 hours 57 minutes. On Thursday, April 2nd, the plane landed at Boston Logan International Airport.
“I’ve never seen so much red tape in so many ways and obstacles that we had to overcome,” stated Robert Kraft, the Patriots’ owner. “In today’s world, those of us who are fortunate to make a difference have a significant responsibility to do so with all the assets we have available to us.”
The process of obtaining the masks took the work of many dedicated individuals. After securing the masks came the task of finding a way to get them back to the states, one of the biggest hurdles being obtaining permission from China to land the plane. Multiple letters were sent from Governor Baker, the U.S. State Department, Robert Kraft to China’s consul general in New York seeking the necessary permits.
In addition to their plane, the Kraft family donated $2 million, approximately half the cost of the masks.
The 1.7 million N95 masks were produced by multiple Chinese manufacturers. Once completed, they needed to be counted and inspected and quickly ushered through customs.
Those close to the matter stated Chinese tech conglomerate Tencent gave more than a dozen workers to help facilitate the mission from accruing, counting, inspecting all masks before they arrived at the plane field, and as they were being loaded.
Due to the changes made to the plane to hold cargo as opposed to players, only 1.2 million masks fit. The rest are being held by Tencent and are reported to be transported soon.
Kraft, who has spoken about N.Y. Governor Andrew Cuomo and his leadership in the handling of the pandemic, in agreement with Governor Baker, pledges to send 300,000 masks onto New York.
“I’d been watching Governor (Andrew) Cuomo over the last few weeks and I just think he’s done an outstanding job,” Kraft told CNN. “He’s at the epicenter of this crisis, and he has a calming way about him. He brings confidence. And I have a personal tie to New York City; Columbia was good to me, and gave me a full scholarship as a kid. I love the city. I love the people there. I don’t think what’s going on is something any of us could imagine.
“So I spoke to the governor and he requested if there was any way we could get some of these masks for New York. I spoke to our governor and he said, ‘We’re bringing them back.’”
The N95 masks, which have been in short supply, are medical-grade equipment that is vital to the safety of healthcare workers and first responders. The masks that arrived from China were taken directly by the National Guard to the strategic stockpile located in Marlborough, Massachusetts to then be distributed.
