Urgent Call for Blood Donations

The American Red Cross is facing a severe blood shortage—due to an unprecedented number of blood drive cancellations during the COVID-19 health crisis—and is looking for healthy individuals to donate now.

The Red Cross has implemented precautions to ensure the safety of donors and staff. Healthy individuals can donate in areas that have issued shelter-in-place declarations. “Donating blood is a safe process and people should not hesitate to give or receive blood or platelets,” states the Red Cross.

The Red Cross also urges organizations to maintain scheduled blood drives as it works to identify and replace blood drives canceled due to workplace and school closures. The blood shortage could impact patients who need surgery, victims of car accidents and other emergencies, or patients fighting cancer.

Note that individuals should postpone donations for 28 days following travel to China and its special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macau, as well as Iran, Italy and South Korea, or if diagnosed with or have had contact with anyone with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19.

To find local blood-drive locations, visit redcrossblood.org/give.html/find-drive.