Beijing will set up a new mask factory within just six days to meet soaring demand for protective gear in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
The factory, to be converted from an industrial building by China Construction First Group, will be able to turn out 250,000 masks each day, it said, adding that work began on Monday and was set to be completed by Saturday.
The rapid pace and makeshift nature of the plant mirror measures taken in the virus epicenter of Wuhan, in the central province of Hubei, where buildings have been converted to treat infected patients, or hospitals built from scratch, in days.
Last month, CMmask, a Chinese mask maker that supplies 30% of the domestic market, said daily orders for 5 million masks were more than 10 times its usual level.