On paper, it is a “deal” which should largely respond to the problem of a shortage of masks from which France has suffered since the start of the crisis. The Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, announced that he had ordered more than a billion masks abroad, mainly in China, the world's leading manufacturer of masks with Taiwan. An air bridge between China and France should facilitate their transportation.
Read also: Coronavirus: what to remember from Philippe and Véran's announcements
A first plane, coming from Shanghai, chartered by Air France, carrying 5.5 million masks (on 100 tonnes of medical equipment), was to land at Charles-de-Gaulle airport on Sunday at the end of the day. As of Monday, " a series of flights spread over two weeks at first " should follow, according to Paris-Vatry airport (Marne).
The urgency is there: France consumes far more masks than it produces. Its healthcare staff use 40 million a week while French manufacturers take out 8 million of their lines every week.
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