WINSTON-SALEM, NC (June 2, 2020) - Leaders with Mask the City, an initiative launched a little more than 40 days ago to provide access to face masks for the Winston-Salem community to reduce the spread of COVID-19, are calling the project a huge success. Since Mask the City began distributing masks on April 22, approximately 390,000 of the Nightingale™ WS Protective masks, produced by Renfro Corporation, have been distributed to businesses, not-for-profit organizations, seniors, healthcare institutions, and other locations throughout the area.
"The response from the Winston-Salem community to the Mask the City Initiative has been phenomenal," Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines said. "I’m extremely proud of what our city has accomplished and know that the success of the Mask the City effort has gained national attention, including that of Vice President Mike Pence."
Since late April, Mask the City has accomplished:
"We can’t let our guard down now and must remain diligent in our efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19," Joines said. "The instances of COVID-19 remain significant in our community, and I encourage everyone in Winston-Salem to continue wearing masks, use good hand cleaning hygiene, and practice social distancing for several more weeks."
Renfro CEO & President Stan Jewell echoed the need to continue wearing masks in conjunction with distancing and other measures.
"Renfro Corporation was honored to support the Mask the City effort in Winston-Salem. We have produced and delivered nearly 400,000 masks that are currently being used across the Winston-Salem community," Jewell said. "I am also extremely proud of the way our organization quickly pivoted to ramp up the production capabilities to the point that we have been producing more than one million face masks per week, and we have added more than 500 American jobs to support the effort."
Jewell said that Renfro received tremendous positive feedback from the Winston-Salem community about the Nightingale face mask and its superior design, especially regarding its comfort, that was developed in collaboration with Wake Forest Baptist Health. In addition, Jewell commented on news reports from Tennessee about the use of Silvadur 930™ FLEX Antimicrobial in a different Renfro face mask purchased by the State of Tennessee.
"Recently, there were some news reports generated in Tennessee regarding the Renfro face masks and the use of Silvadur 930™ FLEX Antimicrobial. A news report cited incorrect EPA information and inaccurate health warnings and unfortunately that incorrect report was repeated by other news agencies," Jewell said. "Similar to face masks manufactured by other companies, Renfro’s face masks use DuPont’s Silvadur™ 930 FLEX Antimicrobial. This is an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered antimicrobial widely used for inhibiting microbial growth to reduce odor on textiles and garments."
"Silvadur 930™ FLEX Antimicrobial has been registered for use in textiles and garments, including those that come in close contact with the face and body, such as pillow cases, sheets, jackets, towels, underwear, and athletic wear," he added. "Millions of common consumer apparel products contain Silvadur 930™ FLEX Antimicrobial, and no significant health issues have been reported."
The Renfro Nightingale™ mask is a different mask from the Renfro mask purchased by the State of Tennessee. The Nightingale mask has enhanced features and is made of a finer gauge fabric. Both masks utilize similar materials, including Silvadur™ 930 FLEX Antimicrobial.
Information about Renfro Corporation and the use of Silvadur 930™ FLEX Antimicrobial can be found at nightingalesafe.com/pages/learn-more. Additional information about the Mask the City initiative can be found at maskthecity.com and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @maskthecity.
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Questions related to the Mask the City effort? Please email us at info@maskthecity.com