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Patriots' plane bringing 1.2 million masks to United States

The New England Patriots' team plane is being used to transport 1.2 million N95 masks from Shenzhen, China, to the United States.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the transfer was the result of multiple global negotiations and the Massachusetts governor, Charlie Baker, calling on Patriots team president Jonathan Kraft for his help in acquiring the masks.

The Patriots' plane had to be upgraded for international travel and a waiver to avoid a 14-day quarantine in China was granted if the crew did not leave the aircraft, according to the Journal.

"I've never seen so much red tape in so many ways and obstacles that we had to overcome," Patriots owner Robert Kraft said, according to the Journal. "In today's world, those of us who are fortunate to make a difference have a significant responsibility to do so with all the assets we have available to us."

The Kraft family paid $2 million, about half the cost, to acquire the masks, according to the newspaper. The initial order was for 1.7 million masks, but only 1.2 million could fit on the plane. The remainder of the masks are set to be delivered in another shipment, the Journal reports.

The Massachusetts governor gave a "huge thanks to the Krafts and several dedicated partners for making this happen" in a tweet Thursday morning


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