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Patriots owner Robert Kraft purchased 1.2 million N95 protective masks to aid healthcare officials in the fight against COVID-19.
Kraft donated those masks to hospitals in the state of Massachusetts and another 300,000 for New York. In addition to the donation of masks, Kraft also lent his team’s plane to serve as transportation for the items into the United States from China.
Robert Kraft Discusses His Donation to COVID-19 Relief
Kraft recently joined a Town Hall on CNN to discuss his donation.
This was probably the most challenging operation our organization and team ever had to do. It was a lot of red tape, but a lot of people cooperated. Our crew flew probably more hours than they should have, but they knew how important it was. It’s like doing your job and never taking time off when something is really important.
Kraft was complimentary of Massachusets and New York Governors, Charlie Baker, and Andrew Cuomo, respectively. Cuomo called Kraft’s call the only positive one he’d received in nearly two weeks.
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New York and the East Coast Has Seemingly Taken the Brunt of the Coronavirus Impact in the United States
Cuomo’s state has been hit the hardest of any in America by the Coronavirus pandemic.
The state has a reported death total of 3,218 at Johns Hopkins Hospital alone, with close to 103,000 cases, according to records from the medical center.
Here a few more statistics as it pertains to that entire region of the country, per The Intelligencer:
- 102,870 total cases in New York State
- 2,935 deaths from the coronavirus in the state
- 57,160 cases in New York City, including 1,562 deaths
- 14,810 people with COVID-19 are currently hospitalized in the state
- 29,895 cases in New Jersey, with 647 deaths
- 4,914 cases in Connecticut, with 131 deaths
Despite these unfortunate numbers, Governor Cuomo has voiced his concerns regarding the inability to get governmental assistance to help fight the impact of the Coronavirus. Cuomo has directly charged the federal government with being absent with their willingness to assist the states with the gravest need.
“We mobilized quickly, but the federal government has been slow off the mark and they continue to be slow,” Cuomo said back on March 8. “That’s unacceptable — we need them to approve these private labs today so we can stay ahead of this evolving situation.”
Coronavirus and the 2020 NFL Season
As of now, the NFL is proceeding as if their season will begin on time in September, but there must be significant movement in the relief and control of the Coronavirus before that can happen.
Kraft has seemingly helped to lead the charge, but several NFL owners, players, and coaches, along with athletes and entertainers from all over the world are doing their parts in donating to worthy causes to help people overcome this disease. Though he’s not always the target of admiration from NFL fans, Kraft’s use of his wealth and influence in this situation should be applauded.
Whether you’re a fan of New England or not, it’s hard to argue with the Patriot way in this situation.
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Patriots Owner Makes Huge Contribution to COVID-19 Relief