A batch of some 6,000 face masks for coronavirus front-liners is in the process of being produced by local menswear manufacturer Bortex Group. 

The renowned clothing company announced on Monday it had shifted its local production facility capacity to start manufacturing face masks and scrubs for healthcare workers. 

The local production capacity is expected to reach anywhere between 20,000 and 30,000 pieces of equipment per month.

In comments to Times of Malta, CEO Peter Borg said that the decision to shift from making men’s clothing to manufacturing medical equipment was taken as soon as the company discovered supplies were running short. 

While manufacturing masks and scrubs is “completely different to the company’s usual gentlemen’s suits and jackets”, Borg said that making the medical equipment is “much simpler”.

So how many masks will the company make?

“We have just started on our first six thousand masks. As far as the scrubs are concerned, we are just about to start production. We will make as many as we can or as many as are required until this crisis is over,” Borg said.

The company, he went on, has ongoing discussions with the health authorities and the products have been developed in full consultation with them. 

The CEO said that the total number of pieces of equipment expected to be produced per month could be between 20,000 to 30,000. 

On Tuesday, Times of Malta reported that a shipment of 50,000 Malta-bound medical suits had been ransacked in a Turkish shipping warehouse, with the stolen equipment likely to have been sold on a new global black market for COVID-19 hospital supplies.  

Malta will now be negotiating directly with the Chinese government to secure equipment.