JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With COVID-19 now a global pandemic and a nationwide shortage of personal protective equipment for health care workers, Jacksonville-based Venus Fashion has shifted its manufacturing efforts to produce critically needed protective face masks.
The masks will be donated to Jacksonville hospitals, as well as to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson, New Jersey, which has the fourth busiest ER in the nation.
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“When one of our partners, MJ Day, editor of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, asked her Instagram community to step up and start sewing face masks for local hospitals, we knew we had to help,” said Pamela Kimball, director of Swim, Intimates, & Sleepwear at Venus.
Venus Fashion is set to announce an exciting partnership with Sports Illustrated, owned by Authentic Brands Group, (ABG), in late Spring/early Summer 2020.
“As part of the Jacksonville community, we felt compelled to step up to support the selfless health care workers who are working around the clock for their communities during this challenging time," Kimball said. "We’ve already made over 1,000 masks in the last few days and this effort has only just begun.”
Officials said Venus has taken precautions to protect the health of its workers, enforcing a “work from home” policy beginning March 17 for all those who were able to do so.
Various measures have also been put in place to increase sanitization protocols in its office spaces while promoting social distancing in workflows.
Venus said the health of its workers is important, and it wants to keep its infrastructure going so it can employ its staff “during this uncertain time.”