St. Louis Comptroller's Office To Host Blood Drive Feb. 8

From the City of St. Louis:

January 13, 2021

The office of St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green will host its semiannual community blood drive with the American Red Cross on Monday, February 8, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in Room 208 of St. Louis City Hall.

Held each year during Black History Month, the Comptroller’s February blood drive honors Dr. Charles Drew, the prominent physician and medical researcher who developed the first large-scale blood banks early in World War II.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the Red Cross urgently needs the help of blood and platelet donors to meet the needs of patient care. In addition, there is a need for African American blood donors for sickle cell therapies.

For more information or to schedule an appointment to donate, call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org [www.redcrossblood.org].

• COVID-19 Antibody Screening: The Red Cross is testing all donated blood, platelets and plasma for COVID-19 antibodies. Results of the test will be available online about one week after donation. The antibody test indicates if the donor’s immune system has produced antibodies to the coronavirus, regardless of whether symptoms were present—it is not a substitute for a diagnostic test.
• Donation Safety: Each Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control. Red Cross essential services have been approved by local and federal officials, including the Department of Homeland Security, CDC, FDA, and the Surgeon General. Learn more about the Red Cross safety protocols at: COVID-19 and Blood Donation.
• Visiting City Hall: As a precaution to limit the spread of COVID-19, visitors to city hall are required to wear masks or face coverings and will have their temperature taken at the point of entry. Anyone with a temperature of 100.4 or higher will not be permitted inside. Learn more about precautions for city hall visitors at: City Hall COVID-19 Precautions.

Comptroller Darlene Green is the chief fiscal officer of the City of St. Louis and is charged with safeguarding the city’s credit rating and with protecting taxpayer dollars. She is the recipient of the 2019 Women in Public Finance Lifetime Achievement award. Visit www.stlouis-mo.gov/comptroller to learn more about the Office of the Comptroller.

This press release was produced by the City of St. Louis. The views expressed here are the author’s own.