Turkish factory comes to China's aid in COVID-19 fight

AMASYA, Turkey

A local factory in Turkey has halted normal production to make antibacterial suits to aid in China’s fight against the coronavirus.

The factory in Amasya, northern Turkey, started mass producing the suits for sale earlier this month after China issued a call for help in meeting the rising demand in the country.

The factory, which normally makes women’s clothing, increased production capacity and hired more workers as it received a staggering amount of orders from China.

"Since the switch, we have received orders for more than a million units. We are producing around 5,000 a day right now and they are sent to China on cargo planes,” the factory owner told Anadolu Agency.

The protective antibacterial suits, which are completely airtight and disposable, are essential for medical personnel treating COVID-19 patients.

China is the epicenter of the global outbreak and has over 79,000 confirmed cases and more than 2,800 deaths.

The coronavirus has spread to over 50 countries and there are nearly 5,000 cases and over 70 deaths confirmed worldwide.

The World Health Organization, which last month declared the outbreak an international health emergency, raised the global risk level from ‘high’ to ‘very high’ on Friday.

* Writing by Firdevs Bulut