Bay Area Chinese Americans give hospitals PPE

SAN FRANCISCO - A coalition of Chinese Americans in the Bay Area have been giving local hospitals valuable personal protective equipment.

The group, called Covid-19 Relief Bay Area, was originally formed to help out during the outbreak in China, but their mission has changed.

 Over the last several weeks, they've donated thousands of pieces of PPE to dozens of hospitals in the Bay Area.

“We've gotten the masks that you all donated.  Thank you so much. We really appreciate all the community donations we've been getting," said a nurse at Kaiser in Santa Clara.

Bay Area health care workers on the front lines of the corona crisis have been thanking the group for donating thousands of pieces of critically needed PPE.

“Over the last three weeks, I would say we have donated over 35,000 surgical masks and about 5000 pieces of N95 another 20,000 plus of gloves and 100 plus of gowns,” said Xiao Yan Chen with Covid-19 Relief Bay Area.

The group is a coalition of 20 Chinese individuals and organizations started in late January, raising money and sending PPE to Wuhan, China.

But as the virus migrated to the US, their focus changed to help health care workers here.

“We try to do whatever we can do for our communities.  And we really like to help and join the efforts,” said Betty Yuan, one of the co-founders of the group.

The group says it's raised more than $70,000, primarily from the Chinese community in the Bay Area, and it's list of recipients of equipment is lengthy.

Ironically, the help they gave Wuhan has turned into an investment that's being paid back.

“We do a lot of our connections in January and February where we help a lot of people in Wuhan, China, so now there are people in China helping us.  So they not only help us to secure PPE, but they are also donating themselves,” said Chen.

The group slogan is -- United We Can, Together Stronger.

 Asian Americans have faced racism and backlash during the pandemic.

One of the groups organizers says he hopes to demonstrate that Chinese Americans are also in the fight to battle a virus that doesn't care about race or geography.

“We are Americans.  We are citizens of this great country and we should do our part to support the United States,” said Wen Yuan, President of Bridge Road International Foundation.

The group says it plans to donate at least through the end of the month, or until there's no longer a need.

Greg Liggins is reporter forKTVU.  Email Greg at Greg.Liggins@foxtv.com