Coronavirus: the first masks ordered from China arrive in France

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The masks are coming from China. Since Sunday March 29, France has received 13.5 million. FFP2 type masks are particularly requested by caregivers. In total, nearly a billion Chinese masks are expected on French soil.

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The " airlift " against the coronavirus has started between China and France. A cargo plane carrying 8.5 million medical masks landed on Monday March 30 at Paris-Vatry airport. Arrived shortly after 2 p.m. on a tarmac closely monitored by the security forces, the device contained " about 7 million masks " ordered by the state, as well as " others from donations made to France by Chinese companies " , said the prefect of Marne, Pierre N'Gahane. A hundred gendarmes were deployed to secure the airport and escort the convoys to the depots of the regional health centers.

Another flight is planned this week to carry another 13 million masks. This Sunday evening, France had already received a first delivery of more than 5 million masks from Shanghai. 80% of these masks are of the FFP2 type, claimed by health professionals who prefer them to simple surgical masks.

Criticized by healthcare workers as by public opinion, the government is taking the shortage of masks head on. The airlift between China and France provides for 56 rotations per week of freighters loaded with masks to fill the shortage.

Emmanuel Macron in a mask factory near Angers

For his part, President Emmanuel Macron goes this Tuesday morning near Angers to the mask factory of the SME Kolmi-Hopen, the largest of the four French producers. This FFP2 and surgical mask factory, located in Saint-Barthélémy-d'Anjou, is now running 24 hours a day to increase its production. Faced with the spreading disease and the swelling controversy , the Head of State wants to " show the exceptional mobilization of our industry to meet the needs linked to the Covid-19 crisis ," explained the Elysee Palace .

The daily Ouest-France , however, recalled last week the controversial closure less than two years ago of the main mask manufacturing plant in France. This site, which could manufacture 200 million masks per year, located in Plaintel, in the Côtes-d'Armor, closed at the end of 2018.

The increase in production in the four remaining French mask companies will increase national production from 15 million to 40 million masks per month in April. This will give France a capacity of ten million units per week. However, the weekly needs of nursing staff amount to 40 million. To make up for this deficit, the country is therefore counting entirely on China to deliver a total of one billion masks.

(With AFP)

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