Coronavirus update: Ferrari commences respirator valve & protective mask production
Ferrari began its fight against the COVID-19 crisis by initiating a fundraiser with its international clients. The donation was mainly used to help the patients affected by the Coronavirus. Now, it is making respirator valves and fittings for protective masks at its Maranello plant.
By Divyank K. Bansal
Apart from the production of medical equipment, the Ferrari management has also agreed to donate a part of its annual compensation to fund a series of initiatives to help manage the healthcare crisis caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Ferrari began its fight against the COVID-19 crisis by initiating a fundraiser with its international clients. The fundraiser allowed Ferrari & its partners to collect €1 million. This amount was donated to Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale (AUSL), the local health care unit of the Italian National Health Service (INHS) in Modena. This donation was mainly used to help the patients affected by the Coronavirus.
Now, to help the frontline health & safety workers, the Italian marque is collaborating with multiple partners to produce respirator valves and fittings for protective masks at its Maranello plant. The department used for developing prototype vehicles is being used for the manufacturing process (you can see the process in the embedded video below).
While some of the valves are being tailor-made by diving equipment maker Mares for its masks, the remaining units will be supplied to Solid Energy, which will use them to convert Decathlon snorkel masks into aids to protect the frontline health workers.
Ferrari claims that it will start producing more essential medical equipment in the coming weeks. In the meantime, the Ferrari management has also started a string of initiatives in the Maranello, Fiorano and Formigine regions. The initiatives range from procuring COVID-19 rapid test kits for the police & medical personnel of the region to supplying food to helpless families and donating study material & IT equipment to kids for online classes. Ferrari has also donated emergency response vehicles to the AUSL and to the AVAP (a voluntary association of public assistance).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrWBKkUJMXE
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