Armenian apparel manufacturers establish mask production lines to help fight coronavirus
YEREVAN, 24 March 2020 - During these unprecedented times, with hospitals and public officials scrounging for protective gear for medical workers and the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rising at a rapid clip, UNIDO Project beneficiaries in Armenia are showing solidarity in establishing mask production lines to provide additional protection to help prevent or hinder the further spread of the virus.
To fight the fast-spreading COVID-19, UNIDO project beneficiary “TOSP LLC” knitting factory allocated sterile space in the factory to promptly ramp up supplies of medical masks for healthcare workers and vulnerable citizens. Masks are made from anti-bacterial melt-blown polypropylene, a specialized medical-grade textile, that allows air to pass through while filtering out dangerous particles. Despite having other orders to be duly fulfilled, other project beneficiaries have also started to adjust themselves to the state of emergency production scaling it up every day. Following the request of the Ministry of Health, UNIDO is helping them to establish mask production and coordinate activities among small producer groups and the Ministry.
Under Phase III, UNIDO Project “Improving Competitiveness of Export-Oriented Industries in Armenia through Modernization and Market Access” implemented with financial support of the Russian Federation, the project team continues to tackle challenges and address beneficiaries’ emerging needs, conducting ad-hoc surveys of manufacturers to assess their economic situation in this time of crisis. To ensure continuity and safety of capacity-building and technical assistance activities, all trainings, master-classes and consulting services will be from now on organized and provided online, including legal and financial consultancy services that are in particularly high demand these days.
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For more information, please contact:
Mr. Farrukh Alimdjanov (F.Alimdjanov [at] unido.org) or Ms. Anahit Simonyan (A.Simonya [at] unido.org)
