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The masks that will be made available to police, military and medical staff is considered crucial personal protective equipment by the World Health Organization and the South African Department of Health.<\/p>
\u201cWith the face shields in critically short supply, we are dedicating our resources and manpower to produce the face shields as quickly as possible. We are urgently engaging with our component suppliers and business partners, and inviting them to come on board and assist us with raising funds for this important project. We welcome any contributions from individuals and companies across South Africa to support this initiative, whether it\u2019s R10, R10\u00a0000 or R100\u00a0000, every little bit counts. Our goal is to produce at least 500\u00a0000 face shields, and possibly even more so that we can assist the healthcare efforts across the country and even beyond our borders if necessary,\u201d says Berry.<\/p>\n
The production efforts are conducted according to strict COVID-19 health and personal hygiene guidelines. During the process, all staff are screened and monitored for symptoms associated with the Coronavirus. Further assisting in the production processes is Trek Plastics which has started providing medical-grade materials at a discounted rate, enough to produce 15\u00a0000 kits per day. The shields will be packaged in Corruseal Group boxes at no cost with the help of Creative Graphics International which has donated materials. Both Trans-Atlantic Logistics and DSV are also committed to the cause as both companies will assist with the distribution of the masks at no cost to Ford. Feltex Automotive and Aeroklas Duys were also inspired and have provided the foam materials and labels for the shields.<\/p>\n
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The shields which help against the spreading of the virus covers the eyes, nose and mouth and is secured by an elastic latex fabric headband to keep it in place. Each unit is designed to be reusable with the correct sanitizing methods and packaged with clear instructions along with cleaning and storage guidelines. \u201cThank you for your offer to donate face shields which can be used in counteracting the spread of COVID-19. It is encouraging to see the efforts of Ford Motor Company not only here in South Africa, but globally as well,\u201d Ebrahim Patel, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s in periods of crisis, such as what we\u2019re experiencing right now across the world with the COVID-19 pandemic, that the extraordinary efforts of people that are committed to making a difference in their communities stand out. We commend the remarkable efforts of every individual at the front-line of the battle against the coronavirus, as well as each company and organisation that is helping to contain its spread, tend to the sick and support the nation with the multitude of essential services during these challenging times. We also value the support of every person that can contribute to the success of this project,\u201d Neale Hill, Managing Director, FMCSA.<\/p>\n
Individuals and companies wishing to contribute to this initiative can send an e-mail to\u00a0socialme@ford.com<\/a>, using the reference: Ford SA COVID-19.<\/p>\n