CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With COVID-19 quickly overwhelming hospitals worldwide, the concern is mounting that there aren’t enough resources to go around if things get worse. Healthcare systems across the United States are reporting they could run out of masks, medical equipment, and test kits.
In response, private companies are stepping up.
“The outpouring from the private sector has also been extraordinary," President Trump said Monday, announcing Charlotte-headquartered Honeywell is helping meet some of the demand.
“Honeywell has just announced it will disband it’s personal protective equipment operations to produce millions of additional N-95 masks and those masks are very hard to get," he said.
Rock Hill-based 3D Systems say they’re working on 3D-printing surgical masks and face shields, ventilator parts, respirators and testing swabs.
“In the last two weeks we started receive an influx of people asking can you help," said 3D Systems Executive VP Andrew Johnson.
Johnson says they’re working around the clock at their York County facility to meet that demand.
“We really benefited from a community within a company that sees a real opportunity to take what is undoubtedly a very negative situation and bring some positive to it," Johnson said.
He added that the long hours have been worth it, knowing they’re helping fill a critical need for our nation in a time of so much uncertainty.
“It’s giving our teammates an opportunity to feel like they’re doing their part to support the real heroes here, the people who are on the front line in the healthcare profession who are dealing daily with treating patients," he said.
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