With personal protection gear in short supply and locally resourced equipment the best route to acquire gear, Winston County leaders have enlisted inmates at the Winston Choctaw Regional Correctional Facility to create and sew surgical type masks.
“Outside resources are doubtful but I have full faith and trust in our community to find ways to help,” said Buddy King, Winston County Emergency Management director.
Winston County Sheriff Jason Pugh concerned about the lack of gear for first responders asked WCRCF Warden Neal Higgason could they produce protective gear.
Warden Higgason found inmates who could do it and a former GED instructor who could supervisor the teams and set to work on making masks.
“We purchased sewing machines and went to work,” said Higgason.
The inmates were glad to be playing an important role in helping the community and helping protect others.
“They were tickled to help,” said Higgason. “It is beneficial to everyone.”
The inmate teams with the supervisor and members of the WCRCF staff are producing about 200 surgical type masks a day.
“Anytime you get something good out of a bad situation, you know things will get better,” said Higgason.
The cloth masks aren't ideal for protecting against COVID-19 but they do help save the N95 rated masks for healthcare workers who are directly exposed to COVID-19 patients and given the present shortages of medical-grade protective gear in the midst of a pandemic, they may be the best option for many.
The WCRCF labor effort comes as top health care officials say there is not enough stockpiled medical protective equipment like masks, gowns and gloves to fulfill the anticipated need of nation's health care system as it deals with COVID-19 and that state and local agencies should be searching locally for a supply chain.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention said health care facilities may need to consider steps to ration N95 face masks during the pandemic, even if those strategies "are not commensurate with U.S. standards of care." During shortages, the agency says health care providers should consider using masks beyond their designated shelf life and reusing them between multiple patients.
Mississippi has 579 cases with 8 deaths as of March 27 at 4 p.m.
