Lankan apparel sector to make medical suits, face masks for medical staff

Sri Lanka’s apparel industry has come forward to assist the government in the battle against COVID – 19 with free protective medical suits and face masks.
The Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) has committed to producing one million pieces of protective medical suits in line with government recommendations and a further two million face masks, Sri Lanka Apparel Exporter Association (SLAEA) President Rehan Lakhany told Times Online today.
He noted that these medical suits and face masks will be made available to the government as part of a CSR initiative of the industry and will provide them free to the health sector.
The US$ 500,000 worth of two million face masks will be manufactured by 10 factories that have volunteered to do so. This requirement is currently under discussion between the apparel industry and the relevant authorities.
They would have to face certain issues of transporting staff to the factories during the curfew while working with a skeletal staff, some of whom have already left the city, as per the current requirements at workplaces around the country. (SD)