During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is in critical supply.

Face masks are PPE that helps protect health-care providers and non-clinical health-care workers from droplets that may be expelled by a cough or sneeze.

Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) seeks the community’s help to sew face masks for LVHN.

Those who have a sewing machine and sewing skills are asked to make fabric face masks.

A mask can be used and reused after laundering it. This helps preserve the supply of professionally-manufactured PPE.

For those who would like to sew face masks for LVHN, face-mask sewing patterns, instructions and video tutorials are at: www.LVHN.org/facemask.

Only healthy individuals with no one in their household experiencing coronavirus symptoms should consider donating fabric and masks.

Masks donated to LVHN will be laundered prior to use by LVHN colleagues.

Those making masks are to use tightly-woven, breathable cotton fabric (preferred) or another tightly-woven, breathable fabric blend, in any color or pattern. Also needed is elastic banding.

Those who don’t sew, or don’t have a sewing machine, can help by donating materials, which LVHN will get to those who can sew. Needed materials include:

- Fabric bolts - Tightly-woven, breathable cotton fabric (preferred), or fabric blend, also tightly-woven and breathable, in any color or pattern

- Cut pieces of fabric - Tightly-woven, breathable cotton fabric (preferred), or fabric blend, also tightly-woven and breathable, cut to six-inches by 10-inches

- Swatches of fabric - Swatches of tightly-woven, breathable cotton fabric (preferred), or fabric blend, also tightly-woven and breathable fabric

- Elastic used for sewing

LVHN is accepting new, unused PPE, including N-95 respirators, dust masks, eye protection, goggles, face shields, boxes of nitrile gloves and hand sanitizer.

Surgical-grade masks are best used and most needed for medical workers.

Donate completed face masks, materials, unused PPE and surgical-grade masks in a clearly-marked bag, box or container, 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 2024 Lehigh St., Allentown.

Information: including for people with COVID-19 and links to LVHN COVID-19 Assess and Test locations: www.LVHN.org/covid19