INDUSTRY: WHO announced a global shortage of masks caused by the coronavirus on Friday
Faced with an ever-increasing demand for protective masks, the Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn has decided to start producing these products. Due to the panic surrounding the Coronavirus, the increase in purchases of these masks has caused a global stock-out. To the point that the World Health Organization (WHO) sounded the alarm on Friday. “The world is facing a chronic lack of personal protective equipment,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the institution’s director-general, during an organizational meeting in Geneva.
The Taiwanese manufacturer announced that it has already launched a test production of masks at a factory in Shenzhen, in southern China, reports the BBC . The objective is to produce 2 million masks per day by the end of the month. The first productions will be intended for the protection of the employees of the company, then the masks will then be offered to the general public. “In this war against the epidemic, every second count. The sooner the precautionary measures are taken, the faster we can overcome this, ”announced Foxconn on the social network WeChat. “We expect to be able to produce 20 million masks by the end of February,” said Foxconn.
An economy hit hard
Apple and Foxconn were among the first companies to take action to contain the epidemic. Like other manufacturers, Foxconn exceptionally stopped most of these operations during the Chinese New Year holidays. The firm, which assembles Apple iPhones as well as products for other international brands, must officially resume operations by February 10.
Between business closings and travel restrictions, Foxconn has become the symbol of a Chinese economy disrupted by the Coronavirus epidemic. According to the BBC, forecasts predict that global smartphone shipments could drop 10% this year and cause a shortage of iPhones, especially the new iPhone 11.
