Disney parks donating 100,000 masks and 150,000 ponchos to help doctors battling coronavirus pandemic

DISNEY Parks have dug deep to donate much-needed supplies to hospitals and medical professionals – including 150,000 ponchos – to protect health workers on the coronavirus frontline.

Since taking the "unprecedented steps of closing our theme parks and stores and suspending our cruises, we have continued to focus on ways we can make a difference during this time", a spokesman said.

Thomas Smith, editorial content director of Disney Parks, said the attraction "has donated 150,000 rain ponchos to MedShare, a humanitarian aid organization, for distribution to hospitals in need.

"The idea was inspired by nurses across the country who inventively found that rain ponchos can be an excellent way to protect their clothing and prolong the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), while also freeing up gowns when needed.

"Disney Parks also recently donated more than 100,000 N95 masks to the states of New York, California and Florida, and is finding additional ways to give back.

"Additionally, Disneyland Paris donated more than 100,000 medical supplies, including masks, hygiene caps and protective shoes to the French government for distribution to hospitals in France."

Smith said the humanitarian efforts "follow the recent donation of more than 270 tons of food to local food banks from Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, Disneyland Paris, and Aulani, a Disney resort & spa".

Medshares said on Facebook recently that with the continued spread of the killer bug across the US, "we’re donating critically-needed PPE and other supplies to local clinics to protect healthcare professionals as they fight to contain coronavirus.

"These clinics provide healthcare to vulnerable populations in our communities, including the homeless populations, many of whom are considered to be in a higher risk group."

After receiving equipment from Disney Parks, Charles Redding, MedShare CEO said: “The Covid-19 pandemic is unlike anything we’ve seen before.

“We have to find ways to pool our resources and work together to help the healthcare workers who are doing their very best to treat patients and contain Covid-19.

"We appreciate Disney partnering with us to support hospitals and healthcare workers on the frontlines.”

Since March, Disney Parks have provided nearly $3million in in-kind donations benefitting communities around the globe, said Smith. 

Covid-19 infections have soared past 200,000 across the US.

Across the US, Americans are braced for what President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday could be "one of the roughest two or three weeks we've ever had in our country."

The White House has projected 100,000 to 240,000 deaths in the US before the pandemic is over, and Vice President Mike Pence said models for the outbreak show the country on a trajectory akin to hard-hit Italy's.

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