By: Ilana Siyance
The novel Coronavirus has had its negative impact on each industry. New York City’s garment industry, however, is rising up to the call for action. The epidemic has led industry leaders to manufacture much needed surgical gowns for the city’s health care workers. The work will begin this week, and will provide jobs for up to 500 New Yorkers, who would have otherwise been home without work. As reported by the NY Post, the idea for local manufacturers to step up to the task of providing essentials is part of “Operation Local Production”, the White House’s response to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s urgent request for hospital protective gear during an Easter Sunday phone call.
The Mayor’s office was desperate after ordering fabric for 300,0000 hospital gowns from China, which never arrived. Last week, the Mayor said the city had “barely enough” emergency protection gear to protect frontline healthcare workers. Peter Navarro, Assistant to the President for Trade and Manufacturing Policy, had a solution for a fix which would also help the Big Apple’s struggling garment industry.
“New York’s famous garment industry was all but destroyed by the sweat shops of Asia, leaving Americans defenseless in this new war where our weapons range from masks and booties to surgical gowns,” said Navarro, the Nation’s equipment czar. “By setting in motion a plan to reinvigorate that garment industry in just seven days, Operation Local Production perfectly captures the spirit, speed, and innovation of a new Trump economy springing up swiftly in Trump time to combat the invisible virus. This is Buy and Build American at its very best”.
The White House was successful in getting a million yards of waterproof fabric from healthcare company Owens & Minor for NYC within a few days, thanks to the help of private enterprise and the National Council of Textile Organizations. UPS even volunteered a truck and driver which delivered the fabric from North Carolina in only two days. The fabric will be sent to four lead manufacturers, including Course of Trade, which is a non-profit organization in Sunset Park that provides free sewing training to New Yorkers in-need, as per de Blasio’s office.
The Mayor’s office announced that this week over 40,000 gowns will be made with the Owens & Minor fabric. By May 23 the production is slated to jump to 400,000 gowns. “I’m so thankful to Peter Navarro and so proud of the New Yorkers who are coming together in this time of need to help others,” said the Mayor.
“Our healthcare workers are heroes on the front line – we must use every tool we’ve got to ensure their safety,” said de Blasio in a statement.
In contrast, last month White House officials had swiftly sent protective equipment to frontline NYPD detectives, less than 24 hours after getting an emergency email from the chief of department in what became known as “Operation Blue Bloods.”
