Nordstrom alterations teams to sew more than 100,000 medical masks for health care workers

SEATTLE (KOMO) – Seattle-based Nordstrom says it will have its alteration teams in several states sew more hundreds of thousands of medical masks for healthcare workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus crisis.

The store's alterations teams in Washington, Oregon, Texas and California are sewing more than 100,000 masks for Providence Health & Services while health care workers battle the spreading disease.

Washington state received 500 ventilators, 1,200 gowns, 500,000 n95 masks and 130,000 surgical masks from the federal government, but health officials said they will need more protective personal equipment to keep up with the rising share of infected patients.

Governor Jay Inslee called on the federal government Thursday to oversee a nationwide effort to manufacture large amounts of personal protective equipment.

Washington state health districts reported hundreds of new cases of coronavirus and 28 more deaths Friday as the disease intensified its assault on the Evergreen State.

Nordstrom temporarily closed all of its stores in the United States and Canada for two weeks to slow the spread of COVID-19.

All of the company's stores, including Nordstrom Rack, Trunk Club, Jeffrey, Nordstrom Local and Last Chance, will remain closed through April 5.