Ford SA shifts from cars to face masks to help Covid-19 healthcare workers

Ford SA has promised to make 57,000 face shields for front-line medical personnel and essential services workers who are most at risk of contracting Covid-19.

The company said the face shields - which protect the wearer's eyes, nose and mouth from the coronavirus, which is easily spread through coughing and sneezing - were being produced at Ford’s Silverton assembly plant in Pretoria.

The manufacturing pivot comes as South Africa had recorded 1,845 Covid-19 cases and 18 deaths by Wednesday.

The masks are produced by the company’s employees, who are not meant to be working during the lockdown but volunteered to make a difference during this global pandemic.

"With South Africa on lockdown and our plants not operating at the moment, we felt that it was essential for us to use our manufacturing capacity and expertise to contribute to the efforts of the South African government, private healthcare institutions and humanitarian organisations to contain the spread of Covid-19 and to care for those infected with the virus," said the company's Ockert Berry.

His said the pandemic was unprecedented and having a dramatic impact on the health of communities around the world while placing a massive strain on medical resources. 

Berry said the company had dedicated its resources and manpower to produce the face shields urgently as the country grappled with short supply. 

"We are urgently engaging with our component suppliers and business partners, and inviting them to come on board and assist us with raising funds for this important project," he said.

The company said it had also approached its suppliers and business partners to ramp up production to a minimum of 500,000 units to meet the growing demand for these shields.

"We welcome any contributions from individuals and companies across South Africa to support this initiative. Whether it’s R10, R10,000 or R100,000, every little bit counts," said Berry.

"Our goal is to produce at least 500,000 face shields ... so that we can assist the healthcare efforts across the country and even beyond our borders if necessary."

Meanwhile, the company's marketing director Neale Hill commended the efforts of front-line workers in the fight against the pandemic.

"We also value the support of every person that is able to contribute to the success of this project," said Hill, adding that all contributions would be used to purchase the kits for the face shields.