Vocational schools to produce protective masks

Students at Turkey's vocational training schools are joining the country's efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic by producing protective masks, which have been on high demand since the outbreak.

"The Education Ministry has selected a total of 30 schools in 14 provinces, including Istanbul, the capital Ankara, and İzmir, for the production of those protective items," said Mahmut Özer, the deputy education minister.

He noted that the vocational training schools in Istanbul, the northwestern province of Bursa and the southern province of Hatay will produce masks which will be in the standard of N95 model masks, and the ministry is undertaking necessary investments to this end.

The production of those types of masks may go ahead in April, according to Özer.

The vocational schools will also produce surgical masks.

He reminded that 44 vocational schools across the country have already been contributing to the production of disinfectant materials.

"We are planning to boost the number of schools that produce disinfectants to 100 in April.

The disinfectants produced by those schools are used both to sanitize their own facilities and meet the demand in the cities they are located in.