Poor Richard’s Press in San Luis Obispo and Safran Seats in Santa Maria are repairing N95 masks for healthcare workers and patients at the Marian Regional Medical Center.
In a press release sent to KSBY, a spokesperson for the Dignity Health Central Coast Division said both businesses are working to replace defective elastic bands on 175,000 masks.
“We have a longstanding partnership with Marian Regional Medical Center, so when we heard they had a need for restoration of these critical masks, we were on board to assist in any we could,” said Todd Ventura, president and owner of Poor Richard’s Press. “We are working diligently to repair them so they are back in the hands of the health care staff that need them.”
Marian Regional Medical Center officials said they received the masks from the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department.
The N95 masks were functional, but the spokesperson said the elastic bands that held the masks in place were defective.
The repair effort has been underway for more than a week, with masks being returned to the hospital as repairs are completed, said the press release.
Given the quantity of masks received, the repair effort is expected to continue for several weeks, said the spokesperson.
