An Australian mask manufacturer producing millions of medical-grade face masks has reassured Queenslanders it can keep up with demand for face masks from that State.
Softmed, a privately owned, Melbourne-based company, fast tracked production of more than 180 million medical grade face masks per year to ensure it could service the needs of the Victorian population after parts of the state went into lockdown for the second time.
Following a directive from Queensland’s Chief Health Officer urging residents to wear a mask, Softmed says it will ramp up production even further to ensure Queenslanders are able to access supply.
Softmed General Manager Sergiy Tsimidanov said the main issue in ensuring protection is mask quality.
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“We’ve seen in Victoria how quickly the virus can take hold in a community, and wearing a mask offers both protection and reassurance,” he said.
“Anyone wearing a Softmed mask can be confident that they have a product that has been designed to the required standards in Australia,” he said.
The factory has committed to producing a minimum of 180-million 3-ply surgical masks and 60 million P2/N95 standard respirators a year, supplying to the Australian market as well as the USA, Europe and the Middle East.
Softmed is committed to delivering as much of the supply chain for PPE as possible from Australian made product and raw materials. It will allow the company to produce, not just masks and respirators but Australian-made gowns, shoe-covers, hats, sheets and other single-use PPE products to meet the needs of the medical sector.
Softmed is also commissioning a high-tech testing lab to quality assure all products. The lab is currently undergoing NATA certification.
Before opening the factory, Softmed used its international expertise to bring millions of face masks into the country to help meet demand.
According to Mario Tascone – Director of Retail for Chemist Warehouse, “Softmed have been delivering face masks and respirators for use by Chemist Warehouse customers needing protection, since the very beginning of this pandemic.”
“Knowing Softmed will be manufacturing in Australia and controlling almost the entire supply chain is very reassuring. The company is implementing the highest standards of manufacturing to their masks, which means every Australian can have confidence both in the supply and quality of Softmed masks,” Mr Tascone said.
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