The consul general of Qatar delivered 10,000 masks to Paterson officials on Wednesday afternoon.
Mayor Andre Sayegh accepted the three boxes of surgical masks from Nasser Allenqawi, the Qatari consul general in New York City, at the Bill Pascrell, Jr. Fire Headquarters on McBride Avenue.
“It’s a very cherished commodity,” said Sayegh. “It’s much needed in this time of crisis.”
Sayegh thanked Allenqawi for the donation.
Fire chief Brian McDermott said the surgical masks will be used for infrastructure hardening. He said senior centers, homeless shelters, and rehabilitation centers that serve people during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic will receive the masks to curb community spread.
The city’s new economic development representative Sikandar Khan connected the mayor with the consul general. Both Sayegh and Allenqawi (pictured, center) met at City Hall earlier in the month.
Qatar, a strategic American ally in the Middle East, is donating masks to 17 states.
Email: [email protected]