The New England Patriots typically use their team plane to travel to road games during the season. However, they are putting it to good use in the offseason. Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the team plane was used to transport over one million N95 masks from China to the United States.
The governor of Massachusetts, Charlie Baker, contacted Jonathan Kraft, the Patriots' team president. After having conversations, Baker and Kraft agreed to make a deal to get medical masks from China. To be able to retrieve the masks, the Patriots had to upgrade the plane to international travel.
In addition, New England had to sign a waiver to avoid a 14-day quarantine due to traveling to China. Robert Kraft, the owner of the Patriots, spoke about the tiring process to claim the masks from overseas.
“I've never seen so much red tape in so many ways and obstacles that we had to overcome,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said, according to The Wall Street Journal. “In today's world, those of us who are fortunate to make a difference have a significant responsibility to do so with all the assets we have available to us.”
Altogether, the Krafts paid a total of $2 million to acquire the masks from China. The N95 masks are medically approved face guards that are useful for healthcare professionals that are in contact with the coronavirus.
In recent weeks, it was discovered that there is a shortage of masks at hospitals in Massachusetts and other states. Nevertheless, the Patriots were able to come through in a big way, doing their part in helping the courageous nurses and doctors who are helping combat the coronavirus.
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