China’s northernmost Heilongjiang province is facing a shortage of facial masks on the front line of the fight against the novel coronavirus, local officials said.
 
But instead of buying masks worldwide, Heilongjiang chose to establish its own mask production line to meet the massive demand.
 
On Feb 10 a new production line -- capable of producing 30,000 heavy duty N95-grade medical masks, 20,000 regular surgical masks and 600 sets of medical protective clothing -- started rolling in the workshop of a Harbin pharmaceutical company.
 
Established in just 10 days, it is the first high-level medical protective mask and medical protective clothing production line in Heilongjiang province, local officials said.
 
Harbin Pharmaceutical Group Holding Co Ltd, better known as Hayao, bought the mask production line from Dongguan city in Guangdong province, in a move coordinated by Heilongjiang provincial government.
 
The mask facility was remodeled from a health product production line at Hayao.
 
Reconstruction of the production line started on Feb 1.
 
The first disposable medical mask were successfully produced on the evening of Feb 4.
 
Meanwhile, the first sample of the medical N95 masks were produced on Feb 8 and the company went into mass production on Feb 11.
 
Currently, around 100 employees at Hayao are on the job, working in shifts around the clock to improve mask supplies. 
   
Staff members at Harbin pharma group Hayao fine-tune the newly-established N95 mask production line. [Photo/chinanews.com]