BREWER, Maine — As Maine businesses start to reopen, many have found it difficult to find the resources necessary to do so. One of those necessities is PPE, and some businesses in Brewer have been told by their suppliers it could be until July or even later before PPE is available.
To combat this, the City of Brewer has created a program to grant PPE supplies to businesses. The city has purchased items such as fabric masks, surgical masks, N95 masks, hand sanitizer, various disinfectants, nitrile gloves, and even plexiglass sheets. The city plans to give these supplies out to Brewer businesses that are unable to purchase the items for themselves due to either a lack of supply or financial constraints.
The city tells NEWS CENTER Maine that many businesses are willing to buy their own PPE, but the lack of supply makes it very difficult. This could potentially lead to many businesses being in jeopardy of closing or being able to reopen sooner rather than later.
"I think I have never seen businesses as grateful for something they get from the city, as they have been about this, and sometimes it is not a huge dollar amount, it's a few bottles of hand sanitizer and a box of gloves and you would think we just have them one hundred thousand dollars, you know? They are just thrilled because it makes all the difference if you can't open without this stuff," Brewer's Economic Development Director D’arcy Main-Boyington said.
Any Brewer business that would like to take part in the program by either receiving aid or making a donation, can contact the Brewer Economic Development office at (207) 989-7500.
At NEWS CENTER Maine, we're focusing our news coverage on the facts and not the fear around the illness. To see our full coverage, visit our coronavirus section, here: /coronavirus