Police Distribute Over 1,000 Masks To Stamford Residents

STAMFORD, CT — Over the past week, the Stamford Police Department has distributed over 1,000 masks to city residents to help combat the spread of the new coronavirus. In a Facebook post Wednesday, the department said they supplied residents of the city's south end, as well as several Charter Oak communities, with approximately 750 masks that day.

Officers also provided over 500 pieces of literature containing a list of resources and health tips related to the virus, also referred to as COVID-19, to residents in these areas, police said.

According to the post, the department began this initiative over the weekend, distributing over 500 masks to the city's "most at risk communities" and making 125 community contacts in the process.

"These efforts were accomplished with our community outreach team (COPS) and our community partners, who were able to facilitate getting these resources to the people who need it the most," police said on Facebook. "We were grateful to get so many masks out to the community...however we know more is needed, and we will attempt to get these resources out to the at risk neighborhoods as resources become available."

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The department is part of a growing list of groups in Stamford making an effort to distribute masks and other necessary supplies to at risk communities throughout the city. Earlier this week, Mayor David Martin and Stamford's NAACP Branch President Guy Fortt delivered masks to an apartment building located on Perry Street.

The building was previously home to Jack Bryant, a former NAACP branch president and member of the city's board of education who died last week from complications related to the virus. The delivery was part of the organization's ongoing efforts to provide masks and information to populations most affected by the virus, according to an announcement from city officials.

"Stopping the spread of this virus requires working with community leaders to make sure all of our residents understand the risks and know how to protect themselves," Martin said in a statement. "I am very grateful of the work done by Stamford's NAACP and for President Guy Fortt's commitment to our community."

The organization's efforts are part of the city's ongoing initiative to provide masks and information packets to residents in an effort to combat the spread of the virus in Stamford, officials said.

"Families in apartments are at higher risk because there are more people sharing a tighter space," Fortt said in a statement, "we want them to know what they can do to stay healthy and keep their loved ones safe."

See also: Stamford Mayor, NAACP Branch President Deliver Masks To Families

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COVID-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that's a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past.