COVID-19 Updates – Textile World https://www.textileworld.com Tue, 26 Sep 2023 20:02:40 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.5 U.S. Textile Executives Raise Concern Over Department Of Veterans Affairs’ Lack Of Compliance With Legislation Mandating The Purchase Of American-Made PPE https://www.textileworld.com/textile-world/2023/09/u-s-textile-executives-raise-concern-over-department-of-veterans-affairs-lack-of-compliance-with-legislation-mandating-the-purchase-of-american-made-ppe/ Thu, 21 Sep 2023 18:54:21 +0000 https://www.textileworld.com/?p=87749 WASHINGTON — September 21, 2023 — The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) and member companies issued a statement today, sounding the alarm over the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) lack of compliance to date with legislation mandating the purchase of domestically-produced PPE.

NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas commended the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs’ (HVAC) Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations for holding a hearing on “VA Procurement: Made in America.”

The Make PPE in America Act, which took effect in February 2022, requires that all PPE purchased by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and VA be made by manufacturers in the United States using domestic components.

“I applaud the Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations for scrutinizing the VA’s compliance with the Make PPE in America Act. It is alarming that this key federal agency has not yet complied with the underlying provisions of the law or provided a demand signal for the procurement of more American-made PPE. That inaction has left the vital domestic textile and apparel supply chain — the very industry that retooled production lines to produce desperately needed PPE during the pandemic — with idled capacity, financial losses and closures,” Glas said.

“The VA and all federal agencies need to fully implement this law immediately. It is critical to the viability of the domestic PPE supply chain and to our nation’s long-term health and national security. Without the commitment, our manufacturers will be forced to shutter operations and the PPE domestic supply chain will disappear, leaving our country overly reliant once again on unreliable imports from China and other foreign suppliers,” Glas added.

Norman Chapman, president and CEO of Inman Mills, a South Carolina-based yarn manufacturer and weaver, said: “The Department of Veterans Affairs’ lack of compliance with the Make PPE in America Act to date has essentially cast aside proven American-made goods in favor of cheap foreign goods from an unreliable and often unfriendly supply chain, costing our company and others millions of dollars, and disincentivizing future calls to rush in to help.”

“We invested in the expansion of PPE production at our facilities based on the promise of a consistent domestic market due to the passing of the Make PPE in America Act,” said Marisa Fumei-South, COO at Two One Two New York. “That promise, however, has not been upheld, as the Department of Veterans Affairs has failed to issue contracts and make wide scale purchases of domestically produced PPE, as required by the Make PPE in America Act. The failure to comply with key elements of this legislation has had a significant financial impact on our business, in favor of cheap foreign goods from unreliable supply chains — as the COVID pandemic exposed.”

“We were able to boast over 1 million yards of elastic per week during the peak of the pandemic demand from our humble factory,” said Adolfo Solorzano Z., general manager of American Elastic & Tape, a Florida based textile producer. “During that time, we proved that we could create American jobs, produce at competitive prices, and pay a decent wage. However, the struggle now lies when our clients are still sitting on inventory that is not circulating because organizations like the VA are not complying with simple requirements in the Make PPE in America Act. Without consistent demand, jobs are lost, shifts are cut, profits are diminished and the path for Asian dependence is laid forth once again for another generation.”

Posted: September 21, 2023

Source: The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO)

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U.S. Senators Baldwin And Braun Defend Made In America Mask Manufacturers, Call On Commerce To Investigate Chinese Mask Dumping https://www.textileworld.com/textile-world/nonwovens-technical-textiles/2022/06/u-s-senators-baldwin-and-braun-defend-made-in-america-mask-manufacturers-call-on-commerce-to-investigate-chinese-mask-dumping/ Tue, 28 Jun 2022 19:28:41 +0000 https://www.textileworld.com/?p=77986 WASHINGTON — June 23, 2022 — Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Mike Braun (R-IN) sent a letter to the Department of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to advocate for American mask and medical equipment manufacturers, calling for an investigation into the alleged dumping of Chinese-made products into the U.S. market. Reports allege Chinese-made masks and other products have been dumped into the U.S. marketplace at such low prices, sometimes 1/10 of the cost of American made products, it has created an unfair marketplace for American manufacturers, driving many out of business.

“This unfair competition is putting significant financial pressure on American manufacturers, driving many out of business, and threatening, for example, our ability to scale up the production of high-quality masks, such as N95 respirators, in the event of a new variant,” said the senators.

“Aside from the benefits domestic production brings to local economies in our states, localized production helps ensure that the resulting products meet the highest standards of quality, sterilization, and consumer safety,” the senators continued.

The letter calls for the Department of Commerce to self-initiate an antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) inquiry into masks, meltblown raw material, and other single use medical equipment imported from the People’s Republic of China. While other industries have the financial ability to petition the Department of Commerce to take such action, the U.S. mask manufacturing industry are under such extreme financial pressure from Chinese imports that they are unlikely to have the resources to spend the significant time and money needed to submit a petition to the Department of Commerce.

“Thanks to the great work by Senator Tammy Baldwin, I hope that the Department of Commerce will be taking a closer look into the problems China has caused the healthcare and domestic PPE industry,” said Nicolas Smit, Executive Director of the American Mask Manufacturer’s Association. “These problems have affected our economy, our ability to keep Americans properly protected throughout the pandemic and have caused countless domestic manufacturers to close. The days where the health and safety of Americans are put at risk due to China flooding the market with dumped, counterfeit, or substandard PPE will soon be behind us. This and other initiatives recently launched by the Biden Administration will help bring back 1000s of jobs and ensure we have all the tools needed to help keep America safe and strengthen our economy at the same time.”

“We sincerely thank Senators Tammy Baldwin and Mike Braun for their support in urging the U.S. Department of Commerce to self-initiate an antidumping duty and countervailing duty inquiry into respirator masks, melt-blown raw material, and other single use medical equipment imported from China,” said Kim Glas, President and CEO of the National Council of Textile Organizations. “Domestic PPE manufacturers that pivoted to make lifesaving face masks and other public health supplies are now facing another challenging environment where Chinese PPE production has ramped up significantly and cheap product is being dumped into the U.S. market below cost, and it is threatening our domestic PPE industry. We know the administration is committed to building and supporting PPE supply chains domestically and that is why we are urging the Commerce Department to use all of the trade remedy tools at its disposal to help support a critical domestic PPE supply chain and force China to compete on a level playing field.”

The full letter appears below:

Dear Secretary Raimondo:

I write to you today to request that the Department of Commerce self-initiate an antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) inquiry into respirator masks, meltblown raw material, and other single use medical equipment imported from the People’s Republic of China. Single use medical equipment manufacturers throughout the country have alleged in media reports that Chinese-made products, including masks, such as including N95 respirators, and single-use instruments for joint replacement are being sold into the U.S. market for less than the cost of production. In addition to this alleged dumping, we know from previous CVD cases that Chinese exporters often receive subsidies from national and provincial governments, allowing these producers to lower their costs and their prices to levels at which American companies cannot compete.

This unfair competition is putting significant financial pressure on American manufacturers, driving many out of business, and threatening, for example, our ability to scale up the production of high-quality masks, such as N95 respirators, in the event of a new variant. The pressure from imported Chinese masks is so detrimental to domestic mask manufacturers that they are unlikely to have the resources to spend the significant time and money needed to submit a petition to the Commerce Department for an investigation into Chinese mask and meltblown imports. We also represent constituent companies who have decided to maintain a U.S.-based supply chain. Aside from the benefits domestic production brings to local economies in our states, localized production helps ensure that the resulting products meet the highest standards of quality, sterilization, and consumer safety.

Given this financial pressure, and the information available to the Commerce Department on imports from China, I believe the circumstances warrant a self-initiated AD/CVD investigation. The AD and CVD laws provide a transparent, quasi-judicial, and internationally accepted mechanism to address the market-distorting effects caused by injurious dumping and unfair subsidization of imports into the United States. For the purpose of AD investigations, dumping occurs when a foreign company sells a product in the United States at less than its fair value. For the purpose of CVD investigations, a countervailable subsidy is financial assistance from a foreign government that benefits the production of goods from foreign companies and is limited to specific enterprises or industries, or is contingent either upon export performance or upon the use of domestic goods over imported goods. Under sections 702(a) and 732(a) of the Tariff Act of 1930, which specify that AD and/or CVD investigations “shall be initiated whenever the [Department of Commerce] determines, from information available to it, that a formal investigation is warranted into the question of whether the elements necessary for the imposition of a duty . . . exist.” While self-initiated investigations are rare, in just the last month the Commerce Department self-initiated a scope and circumvention inquiry into quartz-surface products from China.

Americans must to be able to count on domestic manufacturers to deliver the medical equipment they need on a timely basis. Sustaining a level of wholly domestic production of N95 respirators, meltblown raw materials, critical medical instruments, and the expertise and equipment required to make them, is integral to maintaining that assurance. This policy goal—ensuring that quality PPE and medical equipment is available to the country when needed by maintaining production levels of wholly domestically made materials—is emphasized in the National Strategy for a Resilient Public Health Supply Chain, published in July 2021 as a deliverable of President Biden’s Executive Order 14001 on “A Sustainable Public Health Supply Chain.”

I believe the circumstances present in the domestic medical supply manufacturing market suggest that a self-initiation would be appropriate. Given the public health and national security implications of a broad and diverse manufacturing base, I urge you to work with the domestic N95 respirator and meltblown raw material manufacturers, as well as the domestic producers of single-use instruments for joint replacement to investigate the allegations.

Posted: June 28, 2022

Source: The Office of U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)

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The Nonwovens Institute (NWI) Announces A Series Of Three Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Basics And Workshops https://www.textileworld.com/textile-world/nonwovens-technical-textiles/2022/04/the-nonwovens-institute-nwi-announces-a-series-of-three-personal-protective-equipment-ppe-basics-and-workshops/ Fri, 22 Apr 2022 19:02:03 +0000 https://www.textileworld.com/?p=76417 RALEIGH, N.C. — April 15, 2022 — The Nonwovens Institute (NWI) is pleased to announce a series of three 3-day practical and comprehensive “hands on” workshops relative to urgent industry needs and interest in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).  The workshops will focus on the importance of nonwoven fabrics, technology, and performance testing critical to the development and use as infection and personal protection products.

Each workshop will consist of one day of classroom discussion covering technical information on materials, processes, products, classification and testing, followed by a second day of hands-on construction and characterization of prototype products in a laboratory workshop setting.  The workshops will feature NWI’s state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and staff expertise to deliver a unique experience for attendees. Due to the format of these workshops, attendance will be limited in order to provide the best environment for insight and learning.

Cost per session per attendee:

  • $1595 for non-NWI members
  • $1295 for NWI members (please contact us directly for your discount code)

Workshop #1:  Respirators and Facemasks – June 7-9, 2022

Topics:

  • Nonwovens structures and fabric performance;
  • Basic nonwovens processes and materials – meltblown and spunbond fabrics;
  • Aerosol filtration basics;
  • Products and markets;
  • Product performance;
  • Classification and testing protocols; and
  • Workshop experience – prototyping and characterization.

Registration Information:

https://reporter.ncsu.edu/link/instanceview?courseID=NWI-WBR-09&deptName=NWI&instanceID=000001

Workshop #2:  Wipes – July 19-21, 2022

Topics:

  • Nonwoven structure and fabric performance;
  • Nonwoven processes and materials for wipe fabrics;
    • Carding and hydroentangling
    • Spunbond and coform
    • Wetlaid
  • Products, markets and trends;
    • Sustainability issues
  • Product performance and functionality;
    • Single use vs. multiple use
  • Testing and classification;
  • Workshop experience – prototyping and characterization

Registration Information:

https://reporter.ncsu.edu/link/instanceview?courseID=NWI-WBR-10&deptName=NWI&instanceID=000001

Workshop #3:  Protective Gowns and Garments – August 16-18, 2022

Topics:

  • Nonwoven structure and fabric performance;
  • Basic nonwoven processes and materials for gown and garment fabrics;
  • SMS and lamination;
  • Products, markets, and trends;
  • Single use vs. multiple use;
  • Sustainability issues;
  • Product performance and functionality;
  • Testing and classification; and
  • Workshop experience –  prototyping and characterization.

Registration Information:

TBD

Posted: April 22, 2022

Source: The Nonwovens Institute

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SHOWA Group To Triple Domestic PPE Glove Production Capacity With Major Facility Expansion, DHHS Funding https://www.textileworld.com/textile-world/2022/02/showa-group-to-triple-domestic-ppe-glove-production-capacity-with-major-facility-expansion-dhhs-funding/ Wed, 02 Feb 2022 23:41:15 +0000 https://www.textileworld.com/?p=74377 FAYETTE, Ala. — February 2, 2022 — SHOWA Group — a fully integrated manufacturer of industrial, household and medical PPE gloves — today announced a major facility expansion that will triple production capacity to meet growing government and industrial demand for “Made in America” PPE gloves. The phased buildout of two additional facilities will increase SHOWA’s annual domestic production capacity to 1.2 billion gloves by the end of 2022, and 2.8 billion gloves once the buildout is complete.

While the U.S. relied heavily on overseas PPE suppliers pre-pandemic, COVID-19 exposed supply chain vulnerabilities and a critical need to increase domestic production capacity of nitrile gloves. As the only integrated manufacturer of nitrile, single-use PPE gloves with full U.S. onshore capabilities, SHOWA announced today it has also received contracts from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) totaling $81.3 million to help drive this expansion through the funded buildout of two additional Fayette, Alabama PPE glove manufacturing facilities.

“SHOWA has operated as a profitable PPE glove manufacturer with roots in the U.S. going back 50 years, and today we have more than 6,500 employees across 8 locations worldwide,” said Richard Heppell, President and COO, Americas, Oceania and EMEA at SHOWA Group. “Nitrile glove manufacturing is a complex, resource-intensive multi-year process, one that SHOWA is uniquely positioned to execute with unmatched production capacity, a proven track record and robust financial resources.”

SHOWA invested $35 million to expand its Fayette, Ala., manufacturing facility. The 40,000 square foot facility now includes four additional high-speed monorail lines that will bring total production capacity to 1.2 billion PPE single-use, nitrile gloves by the end of 2022. The DHHS funding will be utilized for the buildout of two new, adjacent manufacturing facilities, which are expected to be operational in June 2023 and September 2024, respectively. Once all three factories are complete, SHOWA will have a capacity of 2.8 billion gloves annually.

Heppell added: “The growing U.S. prioritization of re-shoring PPE demands industry partners that not only talk the talk, but who have truly walked the walk. SHOWA is the first company to produce a PPE nitrile glove on a line built before and during the pandemic, and the only PPE glove manufacturer with the long-term domestic supply arrangements as specified in domestic procurement legislation and Acts such as the Berry Amendment and Make PPE in America Act.”

Posted: February 2, 2022

Source: SHOWA Group

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Shawmut Corp. Unveils Small-Sized NIOSH-Approved N95 Respirator https://www.textileworld.com/textile-world/nonwovens-technical-textiles/2022/01/shawmut-corp-unveils-small-sized-niosh-approved-n95-respirator/ Thu, 20 Jan 2022 17:27:40 +0000 https://www.textileworld.com/?p=73966 WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — January 20, 2022 — Shawmut Corp. today announced it has launched a small-size NIOSH-approved N95 filtering facepiece respirator to help protect people with smaller faces.

Shawmut’s U.S.-made smaller Protex N95 Particulate Respirator Model SR9520S will be sold starting next week alongside its medium/large Model SR9520 on Shawmut’s website and other popular sites for personal protective equipment, including Project N95 and Armbrust American.

“There was a significant size gap in the industry, leaving millions struggling with poor-fitting masks — or completely unprotected,” said James Wyner, CEO of Shawmut Corp. “After spending the last several months working through the research, design, development, testing and regulatory processes we are thrilled to provide this new and essential size.”

The Protex SR9520S N95 respirator is made with the same patent-pending design as its counterpart, but with a smaller form factor to optimize fit on smaller faces. All Shawmut N95 respirators are manufactured in the company’s West Bridgewater, Mass., factory, using U.S.-based raw materials to help avoid shipping delays and reduce the need for foreign materials.

While smaller in form, the SR9520S respirator was designed for adult faces. Families considering an N95 respirator for their children should take the time to make sure the N95 fits properly: sealed around the face, straps are not loose and the wearer is comfortable enough not to remove it. To get the maximum protection from an N95 respirator, there should be no air leakage around the edges of the mask. Before depending on the small N95 for protection, the wearer should test for leaks and gaps all around the edges.

“It’s so important to have a good fit and seal to prevent any leakage around the edges of any mask you are wearing to get the protection it promises, and our experience shows that a high-quality N95 respirator offers the best fit and seal, especially compared to a KN95 mask or surgical face mask,” said Larry Weldon, vice president of Global Quality for Shawmut. “Therefore, we needed to provide a solution that expanded the number of people that an N95 will fit.”

While the recently announced program to distribute 400 million N95 masks does not include any child-sized masks, it is unknown whether the Strategic National Stockpile includes any that are small in size.

The Protex N95 Particulate Respirator Model SR9520S was engineered with fit and comfort in mind for smaller faces. Shawmut innovated its patent-pending Protex All Day Comfort System that combines a uniquely soft but strong inner layer, incredibly lightweight but highly efficient and effective inner filtration layer, and high-sealing viscoelastic nose foam for a secure but comfortable seal. The result is an N95 mask performance with less air resistance, cooler and less stale air inside the mask for easier breathability, less eyeglass fogging, and less pressure on the face for all-day-comfort and wear.

The Protex N95 Particulate Respirator Model SR9520S offers a minimum of 95-percent filtration efficiency, meeting the government standard for N95s. The molded-cup-style respirator — preferred by most users for its performance — is made with Shawmut’s proprietary high-efficiency, bi-layer, meltblown filtration material offering a comfortable fit for extended wear. Due to its lightweight, inner filtration layer, developed using Shawmut’s advanced material expertise, the Protex N95 small respirator is lighter and more breathable than others on the market.

Posted: January 20, 2022

Source: Shawmut Corp.

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Bolger & O’Hearn’s Frank Keohan To Discuss The Role Of Industry Collaboration During A Crisis https://www.textileworld.com/textile-world/2021/11/bolger-ohearns-frank-keohan-to-deliver-campfire-presentation-on-industry-collaboration-and-medical-ppe-at-ifai-expo-in-nashville/ Mon, 01 Nov 2021 22:53:27 +0000 https://www.textileworld.com/?p=72333 FALL RIVER, Mass. — November 1, 2021 — On Tuesday, November 2, 2021, at IFAI Expo in Nashville, Tennessee, Bolger & O’Hearn’s Frank Keohan will deliver a campfire presentation that discusses the important roles that collaboration, pivoting and quick action played in meeting the urgent need for medical personal protective equipment (PPE) during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Keohan is Bolger & O’Hearn’s senior technology manager.

Titled “Pivoting on a Dime During a Time of Crisis,” the presentation will take place at 3:30pm in Booth A900 at the Music City Center convention complex in downtown Nashville.

During the early stages of the pandemic, China provided an estimated 85 percent of all of the medical personal protective equipment (PPE) used by physicians and hospitals in the United States. Shortages quickly emerged, including FDA Levels 1, 2 and 3 medical gowns. In response, several US textile companies turned to B&O for guidance on converting their operations to meet the sudden need for medical textiles.

Keohan will review the process involved including relevant testing methods and FDA  requirements.

In addition, Keohan’s presentation will discuss the role that fluorine-free durable water repellents played meeting that demand. He will also discuss the role fluorine-free, durable water repellents are playing now, as the textile industry moves toward increased focused on sustainability and the reduction of PFOA’s from the global textile supply chain.

A question & answer session will follow Keohan’s presentation and additional information will be available at Bolger & O’Hearn’s booth, A1114, in the Advanced Textiles section of IFAIExpo 2021.

Posted November 1, 2021

Source: Bolger & O’Hearn

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NCTO Launches Video Campaign Highlighting Heroic Healthcare Workers And U.S. PPE Supply Chain; Calls For Strategic Government Plan To Onshore Critical Medical Supplies https://www.textileworld.com/textile-world/nonwovens-technical-textiles/2021/10/ncto-launches-video-campaign-highlighting-heroic-healthcare-workers-calls-for-strategic-government-plan-to-onshore-critical-medical-supplies/ Wed, 20 Oct 2021 20:17:34 +0000 https://www.textileworld.com/?p=72130 WASHINGTON — October 20, 2021 — The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), representing the full spectrum of U.S. textiles, from fiber through finished sewn products, released an illuminating video and social media campaign today detailing the heroic efforts of U.S. textile manufacturers to supply desperately needed medical personal protective equipment (PPE) at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The video features interviews with healthcare workers who confronted a once-in-a-generation health crisis and American textile and apparel executives, who came together to manufacture lifesaving PPE as the pandemic intensified and, once again in 2021, when President Biden issued a call to deliver 20 million American-made face masks for underserved communities in 60 days.

NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas, said: “Our video, ‘American Textiles: The Story of American-Made PPE,’ underscores the need for urgent government support of a vital domestic PPE supply chain, while also shining a light on an agile manufacturing engine that grew out of the pandemic and is fully capable of supplying our nation’s PPE. I want to sincerely thank all of our partners who participated in this film and commend the critical domestic textile supply chain that ramped up a thousand times over during the pandemic to respond to the crisis overnight.

These supply chains reconstituted overnight will be predominantly offshored if we don’t get critical policy solutions over the finish line. There is a sense of urgency to this work and getting this down. Highlighting this important effort to key policy makers is part of our education campaign.”

Davis Warlick, executive vice president, Parkdale Mills, said: “Parkdale is proud to be part of the domestic supply chain that provided 20 million reusable, American-made face masks to the administration for underserved communities, in addition to the effort that has produced more than a billion critical medical items since the pandemic began. This video captures an incredible American story of companies coming together to build a supply chain virtually from scratch to provide desperately needed PPE for our frontline workers and citizens. By procuring 100-percent American-made masks, the government put thousands of workers across the United States to work and further proved that the U.S. textile industry has the expertise, capacity, and capability to thrive when given the opportunity.”

Gabrielle Ferrara, COO and owner of Ferrara Manufacturing, said: “This film vividly portrays the incredible resiliency of our industry to ramp up and produce critical PPE, delivering it quickly to those who need it the most. This is a story of American innovation and the dedication and teamwork of our manufacturing base and frontline workers, all of which demonstrated true heroism in the face of a once-in-a-generation health crisis. We greatly appreciate the administration’s support of our workforce; the men and women at our facilities were tremendously dedicated in producing millions of masks, gowns, and other lifesaving items. We are also thankful for the strong support and partnership of Workers United/SEIU to help bolster this critical supply chain.”

The National Council of Textile Organizations is asking the U.S. government to take bipartisan action to:

  • Re-shore vital production of PPE, critical medical supplies, and other items to the United States;
  • Incentivize private sector purchases of American-made PPE;
  • Require that U.S. taxpayer dollars be spent on U.S.-made PPE;
  • Deploy existing government resources, such as the Defense Production Act, to spur investment in U.S. manufacturing jobs and PPE production;
  • Extend Berry Amendment procurement rules to cover more federal agencies and products;
  • Implement a strategic federal investment and production plan to revitalize U.S. manufacturing and the domestic public health industrial base; and
  • And support tariffs on PPE from China and strong trade enforcement.

NCTO would like to acknowledge all of the companies involved in this critical supply chain and extend a special thanks to the SEIU/Workers United and their healthcare workers who participated.

Posted October 20, 2021

Source: The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO)

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Livinguard Technology Proven To Kill >99% Of COVID Delta Variant https://www.textileworld.com/textile-world/2021/10/livinguard-technology-proven-to-kill-99-of-covid-delta-variant/ Tue, 19 Oct 2021 20:47:09 +0000 https://www.textileworld.com/?p=72087 SAN JOSE, Calif. — October 19, 2021 — Livinguard, the Swiss-based international leader in sustainable self-disinfecting hygiene technology, announced today that its technology has been proven to kill the Delta variant of COVID 19. Tests carried out by the renowned IRSHA institute showed that the inner and outer layers of masks supercharged with Livinguard technology have an average >99 percent effectiveness with no recovery of viable viruses against the Delta variant of SARS COV-2.

These results come as positive news as communities continue battling the Delta variant outbreak, and who will be able to rely on Livinguard capabilities for their population’s health and safety. It is expected that children, who have been particularly exposed to the Delta variant, will benefit the most from this breakthrough. The confirmation of Livinguard technology’s efficacy against the Delta variant also comes in context of an expected rebound of COVID cases during the winter season.

Livinguard also announced today that the effectiveness of its technology could be applied to different substrates. Such capabilities come as a unique opportunity for the many industries, such as airlines, apparel companies, hospitality, healthcare, logistics or transportation. The technology offers an opportunity to help these industries to responsibly open their services with an additional layer of protection for their customers and workforce.

The data announced today add to the extensive body of evidence from researchers at the Free University Berlin and the University of Arizona proving that Livinguard technology can continuously destroy 99.9 percent of pathogens (microbes) such as viruses and bacteria, including influenza, Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, tuberculosis and E. Coli bacteria, staphylococci and salmonellae.

Speaking about the positive results received today, Sanjeev Swamy, Livinguard CEO, said “The news of our technology’s effectiveness against Delta is another evidence that Livinguard technology is future-proof and will emerge from the COVID pandemic as the hygiene technology of choice for sustainable self-disinfection moving forward. As consumers continue to resort to masks for specific situations, we expect Livinguard masks to become consumers’ preferred, sustainable, self-disinfecting facemask.”

Posted October 19, 2021

Source: Livinguard AG

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Merrow Manufacturing & Precision Fabrics Group Create New U.S.-Made, Reusable PPE To Optimize Availability, Protection And Comfort For Frontline Healthcare Providers https://www.textileworld.com/textile-world/knitting-apparel/2021/09/merrow-manufacturing-precision-fabrics-group-create-new-u-s-made-reusable-ppe-to-optimize-availability-protection-and-comfort-for-frontline-healthcare-providers/ Wed, 29 Sep 2021 21:31:14 +0000 https://www.textileworld.com/?p=71669 FALL RIVER, Mass. — September 29, 2021 — An unprecedented backlog of all imports, which includes medical products, is creating a crippling supply chain crisis throughout the United States. Last week, the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach announced that a record 70 container vessels were waiting offshore to unload their goods. In response, Merrow Manufacturing and Precision Fabrics Group (PFG) have mobilized their resources to alleviate widespread shortages, sub-standard design, highly variable quality, and increased prices of PPE with the creation of domestically produced reusable Level 1 and 2 isolation gowns. This proprietary gown design was created in collaboration with a group of infection prevention nurses and medical product engineers. The Merrow and PFG teams responded to the nurses’ acute concerns around PPE: “Will we get it? Will it perform?”

“Our mission has been to intensively listen and incorporate the nurses’ experience, insights, needs and wants into a protective gown that will provide comfort and freedom of movement, without sacrificing full-on protection during this incredibly strenuous COVID era,” says James Barry, Business Manager of Healthcare Products at PFG.

In addition to being reusable up to 125 times, these medical protective gowns are made of high-performance, antimicrobial, medical grade fabric, engineered for optimal protection of the body and neck areas, while also being priced competitively with lower quality, disposable PPE alternatives on a cost-per-use basis.

According to Merrow Manufacturing CEO Charlie Merrow, this advancement in isolation gown design and fabrication will not only sustain a supply of much needed U.S.-sourced PPE for healthcare workers, but also lower costs, enhance efficiencies, and maintain quality.

“The scarcity of PPE in the U.S. during 2020 preceded a hospital staffing crisis that is currently forcing some facilities to ration care. The latest increase in COVID cases only exacerbates the potential for substantial supply-chain disruption that has ensnared movement of goods worldwide,” says Merrow. “By combining this new innovative product with our sustainable production model, we can prevent a catastrophe.”

Merrow and PFG’s post-pandemic industrial-based expansion of 100% USA sourced medical protective equipment, with a mission to operate at scale and as a sustainable, agile, industrial platform, strengthens the nation’s public health and medical infrastructure and ensures a continuous, accessible, secure source of PPE supply. The facilities in which they are manufactured are registered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Proven in independent testing, the Merrow/PFG L2 Medical Gown meets and exceeds ASTM Level 1 & 2 standards.

With flu season rapidly approaching, private and public healthcare institutions are searching for immediate, reliable solutions to supply chain disruptions. This nurse-engineered product’s unique combination of secure domestic supply, innovative technology, and improved sustainability has the potential to resolve these issues and provide safety for providers, patients, and public health agencies. Federal and State organizations aligned with this mission are encouraged to contact Merrow and PFG.

Posted September 29, 2021

Source: Merrow Group Companies

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Industry Implores Administration To Provide Longer-Lasting Tariff Exemptions On Essential PPE https://www.textileworld.com/textile-world/nonwovens-technical-textiles/2021/09/industry-implores-administration-to-provide-longer-lasting-tariff-exemptions-on-essential-ppe/ Tue, 28 Sep 2021 15:42:53 +0000 https://www.textileworld.com/?p=71569 WASHINGTON — September 27, 2021 — The American Apparel & Footwear Association responded to this afternoon’s announcement that the U.S. Trade Representative will adopt an interim extension of exclusions on Section 301 tariffs on U.S. imports of “certain medical-care products.”

Many types of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as face masks, have been set to expire on Sept. 30, 2021 under the current Section 301 tariffs on U.S. imports from China; however, today USTR announced that these will be extended for 45 days in order to provide time to review the public comments USTR previously requested on the exclusions.

“American hospitals — and indeed businesses in every sector — are hurting in numerous ways as the COVID-19 Delta variant continues to ravage communities throughout the country and the globe. While we are pleased to see the Administration extend these exclusions, they must be extended for much longer. COVID-19 remains a formidable foe. With a substantial portion of our population remaining unvaccinated, we need to make sure we have access to these critical life-saving PPE,” said AAFA President and CEO Steve Lamar. “We also urge the Biden administration to add reusable woven surgical and isolation gowns to the COVID-19 product exclusions list. These items were mistakenly left off the initial list but are desperately needed by hospitals and healthcare workers.”

AAFA welcomes all tariff relief and has continuously pressed the Biden administration for additional Section 301 tariff exclusions and retroactive renewal of all expired exclusions. Last week, AAFA penned a letter to the U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai on this issue and the simultaneous shipping crisis causing out of control freight rates, historic logjams at U.S. ports, delays and costs that are wreaking havoc on supply chains and America’s economic recovery.

Posted September 28, 2021

Source: AAFA

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