Prudential Financial, the Newark-based insurance giant, donated a stockpile of 153,000 protective face masks and respirators to the state over the weekend to aid in the rapidly escalating coronavirus outbreak.

The unexpected gift provided a major shot in the arm for health workers, some of whom have complained about having to reuse surgical masks as they struggle to deal with the growing toll of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 amid an increasing shortage of supplies. A least one New Jersey hospital said it is now down to a four-day supply of gowns and surgical masks,

“While the pandemic has become a global crisis, the fight against it is taking place locally and will be won at the community level,” said Prudential Chairman and CEO Charlie Lowrey. “Our cities, towns and neighborhoods have always been there for us, in good times and bad. Their health, well-being and prosperity are vital to our future. We will not let them down in this hour of need.”

The masks and respirators, expected to provide a two-week respite for hospitals until additional masks and other supplies can be delivered, had been in storage at the company’s Newark headquarters. They had been stockpiled after the 9/11 terror attacks as part of the company’s emergency preparedness efforts for possible use by employees in the event of a future crisis, according to officials.

Gov. Phil Murphy on Sunday had first made reference to Prudential’s offer of help to the state on Sunday during his daily briefing on the viral outbreak that has all but shut down the state.

“Prudential is a great example of huge corporate citizenship, delivering a big amount of masks,” he said. “They have really stood tall among others, coming out of this moment of crisis as extraordinary citizens,” he said.

But the back story of the company stepping forward begin earlier in the weekend. Prudential said it told its head of facilities to look at what the company might have to offer, as it saw hospitals expressing increasing frustration over the inability to get needed supplies of personal protection equipment to safeguard the health of their staffs.

Bill Barrett, Prudential’s vice president of corporate real estate, was tasked to essentially see what was in the basement. What he found were 153,000 face masks, including 73,000 with N95 respirators.

A company spokeswoman said the cache stemmed from the need for emergency preparations that became all too clear after 9/11.

They also found 300 bottles of hand sanitizer that had been stockpiled by the company as well.

A truck from the state Office of Emergency Management picks up the supply of respirators and face masks from Prudential on Sunday.Photo courtesy of Prudential

Prudential made a call to the state and a truck from the state arrived on Sunday to pick up 14 pallets of supplies, including the masks, respirators and sanitizer.

“It happened very quickly,” said the spokeswoman, Caitrin O'Sullivan, director of global communications for Prudential.

The company said the supplies, compiled as part of Prudential’s ongoing emergency preparedness measures, were not simply gathering dust in the basement. Its chief medical officer checks expiration dates regularly on all those supplies, which are ordinarily kept for the protection of employees — most of whom are now working from home.

The company has more than 6,000 employees who normally work out of the office in Newark.

In addition to donating protective personal equipment, Prudential said it has also committed to providing $1.5 million in financial support to organizations working to directly aid small businesses and families in need and in the non-profit sector. Recipients will include relief organizations in several locations where Prudential has a large footprint, including Newark, El Paso, and Hartford.

Overseas, Prudential said it also committed to supporting small businesses in Japan and pledged contributions to UNICEF and the Fosun Foundation in China.

The company said it will provide assistance as well to nonprofit organizations that offer financial counseling and assistance, in recognition of the impact of the pandemic on the most vulnerable workers, including service employees and gig-economy workers.

In just three days, New Jersey’s number of confirmed coronavirus cases has increased by more than 150%, going from 742 cases on Thursday to 1,914 cases on Sunday.

Officials say the numbers represent the early days of a spike that health experts have been warning about for days.

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Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Facebook: @TedSherman.reporter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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