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Coronavirus Latest: MGH Nurses Thrilled To Be Getting Some Of Patriots N95 Masks From China

BOSTON (CBS) - Doctors, nurses and medical workers across Massachusetts are getting some critical equipment from the state and the New England Patriots to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

Gov. Charlie Baker and the Kraft family worked to get 1.7 million N95 masks from China for about $4 million, with the Krafts paying half the bill.

The masks are arrived at Logan Airport in Boston Thursday and 1.2 million will be distributed right away. A half-million more will be sent next week.

The news was a pleasant surprise for many, including Massachusetts Nurses Association Chairperson Trish Powers, who works at Massachusetts General Hospital.

"I just want to say to Mr. Kraft, I forgive you for not signing Tom Brady, this is much more important to me, the N95," Powers said.

She told WBZ-TV the donation is coming just in time.

"We're ecstatic because our supply has run very, very critically low. There's a lot of people taking care of patients who don't have N95s on right now or we're using them for a week or more," Powers said.

"Having more N95s for all of our staff, not only nurses, will make us focus on patient care, rather than worrying about not having enough PPEs," MGH nurse Jonathan Torremoro told WBZ.

Powers is worried about the upcoming surge in COVID-19 cases.

"The operating room now is being converted into a giant ICU in anticipation of the surge, so if we can have these masks I cannot tell you how much it will mean. It means everything, literally save lives," she said.

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