Red Cross in urgent need of blood donations, assures drives are safe

ByZach Logan|April 2, 2020 at 7:00 AM EDT - Updated April 2 at 7:17 AM

POOLER, Ga. (WTOC) - The Red Cross is in urgent need of blood donations right now.

The organization says they understand if people are hesitant to go to a blood drive because of social distancing and wants to assure people that these drives are safe.

"Blood drives are not considered mass gatherings and that has been said from the U.S. Surgeon General all the way down to county leaders. They're encouraging folks to do this. We at the Red Cross have put in a number of extra safety precautions in place ever since this outbreak has started,” said Ben Williamson, American Red Cross SC Communications Director.

This week, the Red Cross will be set up at Tanger Outlets in Pooler on Thursday and Friday. WTOC asked a representative to explain how they're working to keep people safe as they donate blood during this pandemic.

The Red Cross says they are checking the temperatures of everyone involved. They're also making sure their donor stations are six feet apart. The representative says they're constantly sanitizing and disinfecting between donors. And they are wearing masks and gloves. They are also requiring appointments in order to control the number of people at the blood drive.

This week's blood drives are booked. But if you would still like to help, you can make an appointment for next week. Spaces are limited though, so you may want to go ahead and reserve your spot today.

Make an appointment online byclicking here, in the American Red Cross mobile app, or by calling 1-800­-RED CROSS (1-800­-733-2767).

Photo: Getty Images


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