Manatee County jail inmates partner with deputies to sew masks to fight the coronavirus

COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, is not selective in who it impacts, so deputies and inmates alike at the Manatee County jail have created an unlikely partnership to help battle the disease.

According to Sheriff Rick Wells, inmates and jail staff are using materials typically used to produce bedding to make masks for first repsonders, grocery store workers and others keeping the community supplied with essential needs.

“We looked at the material we had in our uniform production shop and decided why not make masks for first responders and other workers on the front lines,” Wells said.

The jail is staffed with a sewing instructor and the effort is producing about 100 protective masks a day. They also are using materials used for embroidery to ensure the masks are appropriately filtered.

Wells said research was conducted to learn how to make medical-grade masks and so far, several hundred have been donated to first responders, as well as those in the grocery business.

“Even while taking precautions, we know many of those workers are coming face to face with people all day long, so we wanted to share some of our extra masks with them,” Wells said.

The first batch of 100 masks were delivered on Wednesday to Detwiler’s Farm Market and Winn Dixie in Palmetto.