Fanatics Converted Its MLB Jersey Factory To Make Hospital Gowns And Masks

One of the major issues facing the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic is a lack of necessary supplies for healthcare workers. Hospitals are reporting widespread issues of a lack of protective gear, from masks to face shields to simply not having enough gowns, with some nurses and doctors wearing trash bags as protective clothing.

It is part of an institutional and governmental failure to prepare appropriately for the coronavirus outbreak, but slowly private businesses are beginning to answer the call (albeit later than would have been preferred) for manufacturing these necessary supplies. Most recently, Sixers co-owner Michael Rubin, who owns Fanatics, announced they were converting their Philadelphia factory that makes MLB jerseys into producing gowns and masks for hospital workers in Philly and, they hope, ramping up production to help out in New York, an area hit especially hard right now.

It’s a great move by Fanatics and MLB to shift production to this necessity and hopefully other manufacturers follow suit, whether it is in producing ventilators or masks or gowns or anything else that can help doctors, nurses, and hospital workers be as prepared as possible to stay safe while battling the rampant effects of the virus.