France will produce 15mn face masks per week by end-April – Macron

France plans to quickly ramp up domestic production of face masks and respirators during the coronavirus epidemic, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday.

During a visit to a face mask factory, Macron said France needs at least 40 million face masks per week. Current domestic production and stocks are insufficient, he noted.

The country’s factories would boost output, and by end-April they should be able to produce 15 million face masks per week, the president said.

Macron added that France has put together a consortium to build more ventilators, Reuters reports. The group will be led by respirator maker Air Liquide, and will also include car parts maker Valeo, car maker PSA and Schneider Electric.