We need to make more masks in France - President
President Emmanuel Macron has given a speech at lunchtime today after visiting a mask-production factory in Angers.
He said that a billion masks have been ordered but that the country needs to produce more on its own soil to reduce its dependency on other countries.
He said: “The world has changed, there is an unprecedented tension in global markets.
“An extraordinary effort has been made over the last few weeks which has enabled us to increase the workforce here by 50%, to run the factory seven days a week, and the production has doubled.
“Before the crisis, we were producing 3.5 million masks, in April we will be at 10 million.”
He added that at the end of April, France should be able to produce 15 million masks per week.
President Macron said: “To all the professions that are exposed, it is impossible to promise masks that are today reserved for health carers. But we will have different categories of masks to provide masks for all these professions.”
The government will give €4 billion to the national health service funding to finance masks, respirators and medicines.
Mr Macron added that we must prepare for the day after the crisis, and “salute those on the front line, the caretakers and those on the back line who make France function.”
He said: “The day after will not be like the day before. We must rebuild our national and European sovereignty. Sovereignty and solidarity. It is this united France that I believe in.”
