Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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Seattle Health Care Workers Welcome Masks Made by Vietnamese Americans

An Hai

   Vietnamese women in and around Seattle are sewing face masks for health
   care workers who face a shortage of protective equipment in Washington
   state, where the first U.S. case of COVID-19 was confirmed in January.

   Katie Nguyen, a tailor in Spanaway, Washington, who specialized in
   custom island attire, decided to start sewing masks when state
   authorities ordered nonessential businesses to close as part of the
   lockdown effort to contain the coronavirus. With a handful of
   volunteers, Nguyen has made 10,000 masks.

   Phung Vo, who works in the inpatient pharmacy atEvergreenHealthMedical
   Center in Kirkland, Washington, received about 200 masks directly from
   one of the volunteers, Loan Ngo, just days ago. He estimates he and his
   colleagues use about 20 masks a day.

   "I showed the masks to my supervisor who said 'Perfect,'" Vo told VOA
   Vietnamese. He added he and his colleagues at the pharmacy are required
   to wear masks and are "so grateful for the cloth mask donation. Our
   Evergreen hospital is the most crowded with COVID-19 patients in the
   state."

   "I'm very grateful that the community makes the masks and donates
   them," Vo said. "We wear them, we use them...[They're] very good
   quality fabric.''

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