Coronavirus in Murcia: Full Face Masks

Companies from various municipalities, the military from Sewer or universities work against the clock to manufacture protective material for the health personnel of the region’s hospitals.

Solidarity continues to work for one more week to provide protective equipment to those professionals who are most exposed to the spread of the coronavirus. Yesterday, in Yecla, the furniture sector and some other companies from adjacent sectors were mobilising to manufacture medical equipment, especially for the manufacture of masks with a format similar to that of surgical masks, which are being manufactured following the guidelines given by the Murcia Health Service through the Virgen del Castillo Hospital in Yecla. In addition, although to a lesser extent, other types of products such as gowns, aprons and tights for healthcare personnel are also being produced, reports the Furniture and Wood Technology Centre (CETEM) this Monday.

There are already more than thirty companies that have joined this initiative on a completely voluntary basis and following the technical indications given by the health personnel and it is expected that, if necessary, more companies will join. The first thousands have already been delivered to the hospital and it is expected that 20,000 masks can be manufactured in a few days, according to the Yecla Town Hall.

In Cartagena, the company Navantia has donated various medical materials to the hospitals Virgen de la Arrixaca, in Murcia, and Santa Lucía, in Cartagena. Last Friday, a total of 300 were donated to Santa Lucía, while yesterday, La Arrixaca requested disposable overalls for the health personnel working in the centre. “After collecting the material requested by the different production units in the Navantia Dock in Cartagena, 140 overalls were collected, with their corresponding booties, which were then taken to the Shipyard itself by personnel from the Murcia hospital,” company sources said.

In Cartagena, Ferretería Sánchez Casado also donated 20 boxes of latex gloves to the Cartagena City Hall, for a total of 2,000 gloves, to increase safety measures in some services working to stop COVID-19, such as the Local Police, Fire Department and Civil Protection.

In Murcia, the Mechanical Workshop of the Scientific and Technical Research Area (ACTI) of the University of Murcia has already begun the mass production of visors for facial protection screens with 3D printers to address the COVID-19 pandemic. At the moment, three 3D printers are operational and sixty visors have been delivered to the Murcia Health Service.

The Estrella de Levante brewing company has sent 25,000 litres of alcohol this week for the manufacture of hydro-alcoholic mixture for hospitals. With this donation, 10,000 litres of 96º alcohol will be manufactured.

At the Sewer Parachute School, the military of the Air Force have been using seven machines since last Friday to sew and make masks requested by the Virgen de la Arrixaca hospital. In total, 30 people have already managed to send 1,000 masks to the health centre, producing 500 in a single day.

The shoemakers from Caracas are delivering the first 10,000 units of masks that will be destined to health centres, as well as to the State Security Forces and Corps. Different footwear companies, located in Caravaca and Cehegín are manufacturing masks both for the regional hospital, and for associations such as APCOM, the Nursing Home and the Local Police Forces.

Pillows from Alhama for Ifema hospital beds

The company Almohadas Retaco de Alhama de Murcia has manufactured and donated 5,500 pillows to the field hospital that has been installed in the Ifema exhibition centre in Madrid. After contacting the Military Emergency Unit and the personnel who manage the field hospital, this company from the Las Salinas industrial estate decided last Saturday to altruistically manufacture pillows to cover all the beds that have been installed in Ifema to care for those infected with coronavirus in the Community of Madrid. The Retaco family of companies belongs to the district of Barqueros in Murcia.