hit tracker
Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeLatest NewsThe end of the masks leads to the closure of 90% of...

The end of the masks leads to the closure of 90% of manufacturing companies

Date: March 29, 2024 Time: 18:04:12

On April 20, 2022, the day Moncloa ended the mandatory use of masks indoors, many citizens were happy to finally be able to go downstairs to buy bread and forget about the mask, while others many remembered her and chose to hang her by the ears to prevent unpleasantness. However, there were more who felt liberated, and this was noted in the mask factories.

Adefarma (Association of Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurs of Madrid) acknowledges that as the obligations became more lax, demand fell, with a significant drop in the purchase of masks when comparing the first month of this year with January 2022. In fact, after the statements by the Minister of Health Carolina Darias, who announced that the end of the mask on public transport will be approved by the Council of Ministers next Tuesday, February 7, pharmacies and the factories themselves have once again witnessed the loss of interest for these articles.

Therefore, although some spheres such as health centers continue to demand their use, one of the great environments that required them -transportation- has stopped doing so, and dozens of factories have been forced to close their doors after having supplied, for two years, the public demand for masks, which the first months after confinement were synonymous with freedom.

Before the health crisis broke out, there were barely a couple of factories dedicated to producing masks, says Francisco Sánchez, president of the OESP (Spanish Association of Mask, Gown and Epis Manufacturers), however, in November 2020 the The Spanish administration had already delivered at least 100 licenses for the manufacture of surgical masks and around 60 for FPP2. Of all of them, only 10% remain.

Most redirected their businesses or opened a new one with million-dollar investments in infrastructure and machinery that now cannot be exploited in other activities. Sánchez recalls that they arose in a context of national shortages in which even the textile industry focused part of its exercise on alleviating the great demand. In addition, he denounces that, despite the impulses that the Government gave to the sector, these are not reflected in the current purchases of sanitary material. “Right now, especially in the public sector, more than 90% of the masks are bought in Southeast Asia,” he explains.

The president of the OESP who recognizes the price is lower, however, asks that the market be measured from a greater perspective, “we demand that when masks are purchased, the manufacturing and labor conditions of their production be taken into account, as well as the environmental impact”. The association urges the administration to be more efficient with the purchase of material and choose to invest in companies that participate in the national economy.

In this context, those factories that were born with the pandemic and that have managed to survive the end of the health crisis have done so thanks to the fact that they had enough financial muscle to be able to redirect their activity, squeezing the resources they have to the maximum. An example of this is PI Medical, a mask manufacturing firm that was born in 2020 and which now also dedicates part of its business to producing biodegradable wipes.

Others, like Nueva Sibol, have a longer history. Iñaki Muñoyerro, manager of the company, explains that they have been producing Personal Protection Equipment since 1985, but they also focused part of their activity on reducing the high demand during the health crisis. Despite having a more established production, it has also been affected by the de-escalation and by measures such as the end of the mandatory use of masks on public transport, which will also mean a significant change. The firm, which expected a greater purchase by the public administration, plans to grow in the international market.

Despite these examples, Francisco Sánchez considers that the mask production companies that continue with their doors open will be minimal, the necessary to maintain the civil lawsuit of those who want to avoid an infection by air, but more and more at the same time. closing.

* This website provides news content gathered from various internet sources. It is crucial to understand that we are not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented Read More

Puck Henry
Puck Henry
Puck Henry is an editor for ePrimefeed covering all types of news.
RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular

Recent Comments