The Egyptian government wants to produce 30 million face masks per month as part of its measures to adapt with the COVID-19, calling on textile factories to meet the standard requirements and apply to receive authorization for mass production.
Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly stressed during a meeting on Sunday with Trade and Industry Minister Nevine Gamea on the need to produce the biggest amount possible of reusable cloth masks.
Egypt has made it compulsory to wear face masks in public places and facilities as part of health measures, with violators facing a fine of about $246.
Gamea announced that over 12,000 small textile factories have been recorded by the ministry. She announced that production will begin in the coming days and eight million masks would be produced during the first stage, eventually building to 30 million per month through over 100 factories.
Representatives of the textile and ready-made clothes sector recently met with the minister, asserting their willingness to produce the state and the local market’s needs of cloth masks at a price of $0.31 a piece.
The government issued a statement stipulating that the production of cloth masks should meet the standards issued by the Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality (EOS).
The masks should only be used by healthy people, not positive coronavirus cases. They must not be used by people in contact with COVID-19 patients or in areas where there is a high possibility of infection, explained the statement.
The mask should cover the nose, mouth and chin, and it must consist of a minimum of two layers.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian Company for Metro Management and Operation warned that citizens will not be allowed in metro stations without face masks. It said masks will be sold at the metro ticket booths, and passengers using the train without a mask will be fined.
