Homemade face masks are now being accepted at Central Peninsula Hospital. Community members who want to sew masks and donate them to health care professionals can find detailed instructions on how to volunteer on their website, www.cpgh.org/facemask.

Fabric face masks are not to be used in the care of COVID-19 patients, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, but they can be used in crisis response when other supplies are exhausted.

There is a shortage of personal protective equipment for health professionals, and fabric face masks can be helpful, the hospital’s announcement said. There’s been “an outpouring from our community” to help prepare for additional COVID-19 cases, the announcement said.

The hospital encourages mask makers to be creative with the choice of fabric prints, however, the material should be prewashed tightly woven cotton fabric for the front and cotton and flannel for the back. A free pattern and detailed instructions, as well as a video tutorial, are available on the hospital’s website to show residents how to make the masks.

After masks are complete, place them in a plastic bag and bring them to the hospital’s main entrance where staff can accept them from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Staff will send them through the hospital’s laundry service and prepare them for use.