Williams Lake Mayor Walt Cobb is preparing to share masks to those who need them after the City received 850 from an organization in Vancouver.
“They were donated from the Canada China City Friendship Association of Vancouver,” Cobb told the Tribune Wednesday. “James Wu who helped us organized our trip to China in 2017 actually got them and had them set up.”
There are hundreds being delivered to communities between Canim Lake and Barkerville for use during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We really appreciate it,” Cobb said, noting Al Richmond, CRD director, arranged to meet Wu in Kamloops and picked them up.
Richmond said he has spent the last three days delivering thousands of masks between Canim Lake and Barkerville.
He delivered 1000 to 100 Mile House, 500 to Canim Lake, 850 each to Quesnel, Williams Lake, Barkerville and the Cariboo Regional District, 300 to Wells, 400 to Three Corners Health Services Society and was expecting to deliver another 400 on Friday.
“They are non-medical masks which I’ve been told are ideal for use in care homes where they are not dealing with COVID-19,” Richmond said, noting he did it as a volunteer not in his capacity as a CRD director.
Previously, a group of Vancouver Chinese businesses donated $100,00o to the Chinese cemetery in Barkerville, Richmond added.
During the regular city council meeting Tuesday, April 21, the City’s chief administrative officer Milo MacDonald said the City continues to source personal protective equipment, including N95 masks and hand sanitizer.
“We have different avenues available to us than Interior Health,” MacDonald said.
In the region many volunteers continue to sew masks as well.
Read more: COVID-19: Cariboo women turn to their sewing machines to protect frontline health care workers
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This story was updated Thursday, April 23 with information from Al Richmond.
