We will continue to produce masks and protective clothing until Mrs Mayor asks us to stop the production,Surabaya, E Java (ANTARA) - Micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in East Java's Surabaya City have been producing thousands of masks and personal protective equipment per day since mid March 2020 to help the government contain the spread of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The MSMEs have been producing masks since March 20, 2020 and protective clothing since March 23, 2020, Head of the Marketing Section of the Surabaya City Trade Office Farida Fitrianing Arum said in Surabaya on Friday.
"We will continue to produce masks and protective clothing until Mrs Mayor asks us to stop the production," Arum said.
A total of 37 MSMEs are involved in the production of masks and 11 MSMEs in the production of protective clothing, she said.
"So we empower many MSMEs located in different places so the production process can be done more quickly," she remarked.
Just in a day, the Trade Office can distribute thousands of masks and protective clothing among residents and medical workers in the East Java provincial capital, she said.
Citing an example, she said the office distributed 5,144 masks and 84 hamzat suits on April 16, 5,000 masks and 114 hamzat suits on April 17, 2,545 masks and 159 hamzat suits on April 18.
In total, the office has distributed 74,899 masks and 3,414 hamzat suits among residents and medical workers, she said.
Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini has forecast that most asymptomatic patients (OTGs) in the East Java provincial capital will potentially test positive for the COVID-19.
"In comparison with the ODPs (people under monitoring) and PDPs (patients under surveillance), the number of OTGs is far higher since the ODPs and PDPs have been under surveillance and treatment," the mayor stated at the public kitchen of the Surabaya City Hall on Thursday (April 16).
Citing data from the Surabaya city administration, Rismaharini pointed to a spike in the number of OTGs in the city testing positive for COVID-19.
The OTGs appeared healthy and were not symptomatic with COVID-19. However, it is these people who can, in fact, transmit the virus to others they come in close contact, she cautioned.
Related news: Social distancing: workers find working from home challenging
Related news: Parents, teachers keep up with study-from-home schedules
Translator: Abdul Hakim/Suharto
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
