ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The City of Albuquerque has a plan to keep small businesses safe from COVID-19 by helping them get access to personal protective equipment for their employees and customers. Businesses around town have slowly started to reopen, but in order to stay open, they have to use the necessary personal protective equipment to keep employees and customers safe.

Things like face masks, hand sanitizer, and plexiglass dividers. Albuquerque’s Economic Development Department said a variety of small businesses, like restaurants, retail stores, and even legal offices, need help getting that PPE.

“We are hearing things like we could use support in areas of PPE if we’re going to comply, we need the support to comply,” said CABQ Economic Development Department Director Synthia Jaramillo. Now, the City is looking for vendors within the city limits, that can help produce PPE items and there’s a long list of needs.

“We’re looking for cloth face masks, disposable face masks, sanitizer, Plexiglas dividers, cleaners and disinfectants, disposable gloves the no-touch thermometers,” said Jaramillo. “There’s a pretty broad level of PPE items that we are looking for.”

Albuquerque small businesses could then apply for these extra PPE items. The City said this effort is two-fold: helping boost local vendors while also making sure small businesses can stay open. “We want to make sure small businesses have what they need to support workers and their health safety,” said Jaramillo.

The City is looking for about 12 local vendors to fill those PPE orders. The deadline to apply is September 14.

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