Across southeastern Ontario, people are tapping into their ingenuity to fill critical supply needs in the battle against COVID-19. Jeremy Braithwaite, his family, and a cadre of colleagues, suppliers and volunteers, have risen to the challenge by producing thousands of medical grade face shields for frontline healthcare workers.
A professor of mechanical and manufacturing engineering in Belleville, Braithwaite says on the first day, they developed a variety of prototypes of the new design and took them to Belleville General Hospital for assessment.
In about a week, more than 24 hundred shields have been produced and shipped across the Quinte Region. The effort is supporting smaller organizations as well, and now, Braithwaite says the production process is gaining momentum.
While it’s fair to say that Braithwaite, his family and a colleague got things rolling, now through the help of a growing number of partners, the plan is to see just how far they can run with the ball.
Braithwaite says for him this project isn’t about one person deciding to do something, but about a community coming together for a cause.
Braithwaite is quick to credit those working behind the scenes in this endeavor.
After COVID-19 has run its course, there will be continued debate and review dealing with how the crisis was handled. Many questions will be asked including what we could have done better. To date, one of the recurring themes is our reliance on global supply chains rather than made at home solutions, and the initial limits that placed on our ability to respond to the pandemic. Braithwaite says he believes a community response like we’re seeing in the Quinte region, will shine a light on the path forward.
Braithwaite says the seeds are already being sown locally. A face shield community of sorts has formed in the Quinte region creating a hub of individuals and organizations, sharing knowledge and materials.
