Prior Park and Loreto print face shields for GHA staff

Prior Park School and Loreto Convent have joined community efforts in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and have started manufacturing visors for plastic face shields for GHA staff using their 3D printers.

The schools have already produced some 20 visors over the past four days.

Each visor takes around two hours to print and these will be handed over to the GHA and attached to plastic face shields to serve as an extra layer of protection against coronavirus.

A nurse from the hospital initially got in touch with Prior Park School and asked if they could use their 3D printer to provide products that could be used to help staff.

Prior Park School’s computer science teacher, Christopher McAuliffe, received the model type that the GHA required on Monday, and found the appropriate design online.

“After some trialing, the printing process is now underway and we will be producing as many face shields as we can in an effort to help out with staff at the hospital,” a spokesperson for Prior Park School told the Chronicle.

Mr McAuliffe lets the printer run in the background while he carries out his classes for his students online.

This design was also shared with the staff at Loreto Convent, who were more than happy to join in the efforts and do what they can to help.

The IT technician from Loreto Convent has taken the school’s 3D printer home so that he is able to continue printing the visors from home.

“Everyone is doing what they can to help and we were happy to join in as well,” a spokesperson for the school said.
The schools could not confirm how many visors will be donated to the school, but hope to make as many as possible until they run out of plastic.

In addition, Prior Park School also donated a stock of gloves from the medical room for the Primary Care Centre and the hospital.

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