CLEVELAND, Ohio - Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Thursday that a group of manufacturers led by Cleveland-based MAGNET will make between 750,000 to one million face shields for use by frontline health-care workers battling the coronavirus.
The project involves 19 Ohio manufacturing companies and three hospital groups working with JobsOhio, the state’s economic development arm.
“These are true partnerships," DeWine said. "Ohioans coming together.”
JobsOhio will be supplying the plastic, DeWine said, but he did not say whether the companies will get paid.
The sorely needed plastic shields will go into the Ohio Department of Health stockpile of personal protective equipment for distribution across the state. The shields can be sterilized and re-used.
DeWine asked Ohio manufacturers to help in the production of PPEs at his April 1 coronavirus update.
“We need your help now," he said at the time.
MAGNET, which does research and provides consulting to manufacturers, is part of the Manufacturing Alliance to Fight COVID-19 that the state up to identify areas in the supply chain where Ohio companies can participate.
Members of the alliance include the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association, the Ohio Hospital Association, Ohio Manufacturing Extension Program, nursing homes and JobsOhio.