PBYP Emergency Community Blood Drive

Pine Belt Young Professionals will be hosting an Emergency Community Blood Drive on Friday, May 8 from 10 AM -4 PM at Lake Terrace Convention Center. There is an urgent need for blood donations. In light of recent COVID-19 responses from top medical and infectious disease experts, Vitalant strongly encourages you to donate blood if you are able.

BLOOD DRIVES AND DONORS ARE EXEMPT FROM SHELTER IN PLACE ORDERS.

Donors will have their temperature taken upon arrival and social distancing procedures and sanitizing will be in place.

There is no inherent risk of getting coronavirus from the donation procedure itself. To minimize the risk of contracting it from others at a blood drive or donation center, Vitalant staff follow rigorous safety and disinfection protocols that include wearing gloves and personal protective gear, wiping down donor-touched areas often and after every collection, using sterile collection sets for every donation/collection, and arm scrubbing for 30 seconds.


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FEMA has specifically identified blood donation as an “essential and integral component of the emergency support function” as ongoing guidance from government entities recommend that people avoid gatherings, practice social distancing and stay home. But blood drives are not gatherings: they are blood donation operations that are key to our public health and safety.

“Just as the social distancing guidance recommends that it’s okay for people to leave home for necessities like groceries, or a doctor’s visit, or the pharmacy—donating blood is a necessity.” – Pete Gaynor, FEMA

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages people who are well to continue to donate blood as it is an essential activity, even amidst COVID-19 response measures. “In healthcare settings all across the United States, donated blood is a lifesaving, essential part of caring for patients,” the CDC declared in a March 19 statement. “CDC is supporting blood centers by providing recommendations that will keep donors and staff safe…and encouraging donors to make donation appointments ahead of time.”

Donating blood is safe. The coronavirus does not pose any known risk to blood donors during the donation process.