Cambridge, MA – Last week, Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus Representative Katherine Clark (MA-5) participated in the American Red Cross’s blood drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Since March, Massachusetts has cancelled 208 blood drives so far and with no known end date in the fight against coronavirus, the Red Cross needs the help of healthy donors and blood drive hosts to maintain a sufficient blood supply for weeks to come. 

“As COVID-19 overwhelms our hospitals, it is critical that we support them with a sufficient blood supply to prevent delays in essential medical care,” said Congresswoman Clark. “The American Red Cross has taken additional safety and infection control precautions at each blood drive and donation center to ensure the health of donors, employees, and volunteers. This is an easy, safe way for us to each do our part during this difficult time.”

“This is the time to take care of one another,” said Holly Grant, CEO of the Red Cross of Massachusetts. “Even during a pandemic, other disasters don’t stop – and neither does the work of the Red Cross. We are grateful to Congresswoman Clark and her office for supporting our mission in these times.”

Blood donation is essential to protecting the health of our communities. The need for blood is constant, and volunteer donors are the only source of blood for those in need. With no known end date in this fight against coronavirus, the Red Cross needs the help of donors and blood drive hosts to maintain a sufficient blood supply for weeks to come.

Each Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control, and additional precautions have been implemented to ensure the health of Red Cross donors, employees and volunteers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Red Cross is: 

  • Pre-screening donors by checking their temperature before they enter the donation center.
  • Incorporating social distancing measures between donation beds and stations within the blood drive.
  • Only allowing 25 people at any given time into facilities, following DPH guidelines.
  • Requiring employees to wear protective equipment such as gloves and masks at all times.
  • Routinely wiping down donor-touched areas.
  • Using sterile collection sets for every donation.

Healthy individuals who are feeling well are asked to make an appointment to donate later this month and after by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

###