Fabric-making town goes all out to relieve protective medical suit shortage
By Hou Linliang
People's Daily app
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Photos: Hou Linliang/People's Daily

Before the unexpected outbreak of the novel coronavirus, Hubei’s Xiantao was known as a production hub of non-woven fabrics, indispensable materials commonly used for manufacturing medical protective suits.

Neighboring Wuhan, the worst-hit city in the epidemic, Xiantao is facing challenges coming from two fronts: virus containment and protective gown production.

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By the end of Sunday, over 400 Xiantao residents were diagnosed with the novel coronavirus infection. Meanwhile, the city’s manufacturers scrambled to expand production capabilities to fill the demand for medical protective suits, which are in short supply as tens of thousands of health workers across China need full protection in the battle against the epidemic. 

Local officials also mobilized skilled workers and machinery from other cities, transforming some fabric makers into producers of disposable protective gowns.

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The city’s efforts have paid off. Daily output of medical protective suits soared to 30,000 last Saturday, four times the number ten days before, said the local government. 

(Compiled by Chen Lidan)

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