Coronavirus News: Boy Scouts unveil 'Coronavirus Merit Badge' for Scouts making PPE
HEMPSTEAD, Long Island (WABC) -- The Boy Scouts on Tuesday unveiled a "Coronavirus Merit Badge" for Scouts making personal protective equipment for frontline workers battling the COVID-19 epidemic.
Town of Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin and Councilman Anthony D'Esposito joined with Long Island Boy Scout Troops to unveil the badge, the first-ever in the United States.
With more than 45 different troops from Nassau County on board, the town of Hempstead is distributing the supplies they need to help make face masks.
In addition to the supply distribution, the merit badge will be presented to the scouts at a later date when it's safe.
The Youth Relief Effort will allow children to help support nurses, doctors, hospital personnel, and first responders, after New York's school year was cut short by the virus.
Hundreds of children from throughout the New York-Metropolitan area will participate, receiving boxes of material from local officials to make homemade shields and masks to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
MORE CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 COVERAGE
COVID-19 Help, Information and Resources
UPDATES
Grieving the lost: Tri-State residents who have died
RELATED INFORMATION
Share your coronavirus story with Eyewitness News
Stimulus check scams and other coronavirus hoaxes
Coronavirus prevention: how clean are your hands?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on coronavirus
