Lynn’s emergency response services got a boost on Tuesday morning when 5,000 face masks were delivered to City Hall.
The donation was made by Keolis Commuter Services, the MBTA’s operating partner for the commuter rail, which has now delivered a total of 10,000 face masks to the city. The first delivery was made in June.
Keolis representatives also traveled to five other communities hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic — Chelsea, Everett, Framingham, Lawrence, and Revere — to deliver a total of 30,000 face masks on Tuesday.
“We’re partnering with the communities we serve with the commuter rail that are severely impacted by COVID-19,” said Keolis spokesman Justin Thompson.
In Lynn, Keolis representatives delivered the boxes of personal protective equipment to city and state officials, including Mayor Thomas M. McGee, Public Health Director Michele Desmarais and state Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) on the front steps of City Hall. McGee said the masks would go toward part of the city’s emergency management operation, which will assist efforts to continue to limit the spread of the coronavirus in the community.
“It is important that everyone continue to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” said McGee. “This donation will allow the city to share masks with our residents to keep themselves and their neighbors safe.”
Masks in many of those high-risk communities will be distributed directly to residents, with the assistance of the state’s COVID-19 Enforcement and Intervention Team. CEIT members act as multilingual field teams who work directly with residents and local officials to help stop the spread of the virus, according to Keolis.
This is the second round of face mask donations Keolis has made to high-risk communities. In June, the company donated 30,000 masks to Boston, Brockton, Lawrence, Lynn and Chelsea.
“Massachusetts has benefited from strong leadership during the COVID-19 emergency and has a promising plan to help these communities continue to slow the spread of the virus,” said David Scorey, CEO of Keolis Commuter Services. “Today, we’re doubling down on our commitment to communities served by commuter rail and donating another 30,000 face masks.”
Keolis, which operates in 16 countries and is based in Boston, said it secured a strong inventory of face masks for its employees by tapping into its global supply chain network.
