Napa Valley Vintner From Wuhan China Donates 12K Masks

NAPA VALLEY, CA — Twelve-thousand respirator masks are on their way from the Napa Valley to coronavirus-stricken Wuhan, China. The N95 masks were shipped Saturday; once they arrive in Wuhan, which is the home of Acumen Napa Valley founder Eric Yuan, the masks will be delivered to the Wuhan Tongji Hospital.

"As a community that has benefited from the generosity of so many people in dealing with the fires and floods that have impacted wine country in recent years, we believe that it is imperative to support our brothers and sisters in Wuhan during this terrible time," Acumen Sales and Marketing Director Diana Schweiger said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is currently recommending N95 masks be worn by health-care workers who interact with patients who've contracted the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.

"Because of our founder Eric Yuan’s deep roots in Wuhan, we are in a unique position to quickly provide these masks to some of the people who need them most urgently," Schweiger said. "Our hope is that by aiding the brave people on the front line of this epidemic, we can save lives and help stop its spread."

To further aid the people of Wuhan, Acumen Napa Valley says it is also donating 50 percent of proceeds during the month of February from online sales as well as wine purchases made at Acumen Wine Gallery, 1315 First St. in downtown Napa.

The additional money raised will fund the purchase of more N95 masks and protective medical coveralls, both of which will be donated directly to hospitals in Wuhan, the company said.

According to the World Health Organization's situational update Tuesday morning, globally there were 43,103 confirmed cases of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, 2,560 of which were new within 24 hours.

In China, there were 42,708 confirmed cases and 1,017 deaths as of Tuesday morning. The Wuhan region in the Hubei Province of China is believed to be the origin of the new coronavirus.

Outside of China, there were 395 confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV —or COVID-19— in 24 counties, with one death as of Tuesday morning.

Thirteen cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the United States, at least six of those in California. Eleven of the U.S. cases involved people who traveled to China, while the other two Americans contracted the new coronavirus outside of China, according to the WHO.

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