Coronavirus impact: FCA to start making face masks for North America
FCA has stated that the car-maker is equipping one of its manufacturing facilities in China to produce face masks for use in tackling the coronovirus pandemic.
"Production capacity is being installed this week and the company will start manufacturing face masks in the coming weeks with initial distribution across the United States, Canada and Mexico," the company said. The company plans to make one million such masks which will be donated to medical staff, police, fire-fighters and other healtcare workers.
The company, and sportscar maker Ferrari, are also in talks with Siere, Italy's largest maker of ventilators, to help double production capacity in the European nation, which is now the worst affected by the pandemic. Additionally, Exor, the invesyement firm of the Agnelli family, the effective owners of FCA and Ferrari, is also working with authorties in Italy to procure more ventilators and masks.
The rapid rise in COVID-19 cases globally has caused an acute shortfall of medical equipment like ventilators, face masks and hand sanitisers. Carmakers worldwide are chipping in to find the gap in supply with Mahindra, Ford, GM and Tesla all in the process of beginning manufacture of ventilators.
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