NFL: New England Patriots team plane transporting 1.7 million masks for coronavirus relief

New England Patriots' Plane Flies 1.2 Million Masks from China to U.S

A call for help from Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker prompted an unorthodox mission from the New England Patriots, who sent their team jet to China this week in order to retrieve 1.7 million N95 medical masks, the NFL side said on Thursday.

A private jet was needed to expedite the shipment that would have otherwise taken weeks to arrive, the team said, as hospitals in hard-hit regions of the country struggle to access desperately needed supplies amid the coronavirus pandemic.