LOS ANGELES — Mayor Eric Garcetti today met with designers working inside the makerspace at the USC Iovine and Young Academy, which is a partner in the “L.A. Protects” initiative he created to spur new production of urgently-needed supplies in the fight against COVID-19.
Academy designers at the makerspace are collaborating with the Viterbi School of Engineering’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM), the Keck School of Medicine, and the USC School of Architecture — using 3D-printing technology to produce face shields, N95-equivalent masks, and other protective gear for healthcare workers and supplement traditionally manufactured supplies.
Mayor Garcetti formed L.A. Protects to help spur new production of critical supplies, by organizing approved local manufacturers to make protective gear and other needs for essential workers — and connecting them with industries in need of those products.
The initial target for the initiative is the manufacturing of 5 million non-medical masks for people who need protection — including grocery store workers, non-medical staff in hospitals, and others providing essential services during the COVID-19 crisis.
