Arroyo Grande, CA – To honor health care workers who have been infected with and those who have died from COVID-19 and to protest the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline health care workers during this COVID-19 pandemic, Dignity Health-Arroyo Grande Community Hospital registered nurses are holding a candlelight vigil and media availability at 7:30 p.m., April 16^th announced California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, the nation’s largest and fastest-growing nurses’ union representing 150,000 registered nurses across the country. Nurses will describe current conditions and the need for more N95 respirators and other protective gear required to safely treat COVID-19 patients.  

Scott Jacobs, a medical surgical nurse at Arroyo Grande Community Hospital said, “We need to be provided with full PPE, including N95 respirators, for all COVID-19 patients, as well as those patients whose test results may be pending.” Jacobs added, “Dignity Health is also mandating that nurses re-use the masks we do receive, for an entire shift, and while caring for multiple patients. This is not safe and puts us at risk of infecting ourselves as well as other patients.”

Ruby Leon, also a nurse at Arroyo Grande added, “As patient advocates, we want to be able to safely care for our patients. If the nurses aren’t safe, the patients aren’t safe.” At this point, over 2600 healthcare workers in California have become infected with COVID-19 and several have died.

WHO: Registered nurses and members of California Nurses Association/National Nurses United 

WHAT: Action and RN media availability to speak out against lack of PPE and other protections for frontline health care workers 

WHERE: Arroyo Grande Community Hospital: 345 S. Halcyon Rd., Arroyo Grande, CA 93420

WHEN: Thursday, April 16^th, at 7:30 p.m.