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Patriots plane brings 1.2M N95 masks from China to US amid COVID-19 pandemic

In addition to helping work out the logistics, the Kraft family paid $2 million, which came to half the cost of the masks.
Credit: Charlie Baker @MassGovernor
The New England Patriots plane is flying much-needed medical supplies in the coronavirus crisis to Boston Thursday

BOSTON — The New England Patriots plane is flying much-needed medical supplies in the coronavirus crisis to the United States, reported CBS Boston on Thursday.

The team’s Boeing 767 went to Shenzhen, China the day before to pick up 1.2 million N95 masks, a team spokesperson said.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Governor Charlie Baker struck an agreement two weeks ago to acquire the critically needed masks, but he had no way to get them back to Massachusetts.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft got involved and so did the U.S. State Department.

Arrangements had to be made to fly to China and to allow the plane to land. No one from the flight crew left the jet during the nearly three hour stop and loading process so they would not have to be quarantined.

Robert Kraft is a longtime friend of President Trump, reported CBS News.

In addition to helping work out the logistics, the Kraft family paid $2 million, which came to half the cost of the masks. Kraft and Baker also agreed to send 300,000 of them to New York to help that city fight COVID-19. The flight is scheduled to land at Logan Airport Thursday afternoon.

(CBS NEWS contributed to this report.)

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