Canadian Blood Services is in need of blood donations and they're coming to Cochrane next week. 

They are looking for 100 donors and have taken a lot of steps to ensure giving a blood donation is safe during this COVID-19 pandemic.

Lisa Castro with Canadian Blood Services says they have implemented new safety measures. 

"We have to put into a number of different considerations to enable us to achieve physical distancing so at this time we can only welcome people with appointments and that'll minimize the number of people at all of our donor centres."

"When you arrive to one of our donor centre's you're going to encounter our wellness checkpoint area. So what that is we're going to be asking you a number of different pre-screening questions and we'll take your temperature and will also give you a mask to wear throughout the process."

Castro says the main thing is that if you're not feeling well you need to stay home and come back to donate on a day when you're feeling 100 per cent. 

"We're going to ask people who aren't feeling well that day, even if you have a little tickle in your throat or just a faint cough. We're going to ask you to stay home if you're not feeling well since only health people are eligible to donate."

In addition to keeping donation spaces spread out, wearing masks, taking temperatures and sanitizing hands they've also added barriers. 

"We're also installing plexiglass barriers at our wellness checkpoint and the donor screening locations in our donor centres. You'll also be asked to sanitize your hands when you arrive and before going into any donor centre."

The blood donor event will be held at the Cochrane Alliance Church on Monday, June 22 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

You do need to make an appointment beforehand and to do so you can go here.