SAN ANTONIO – Toyota employees in San Antonio are working to produce and distribute about 75,000 face shields to first responders.
The plant switched its focus from making Toyota trucks to face shields at the beginning of the month, after the facility said it will temporarily stop producing vehicles due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The face shields meet the demands of Bexar County first responders and medical personnel, who were the first to receive the donation of about 30,000 masks, according to a news release.
Toyota plant in San Antonio extends temporary shutdown until May 1
The State of Texas will receive about 40,000 shields, the release states.
“The current crisis we’re all facing is a humbling experience but rallying to support our first responders in San Antonio is something we can all agree needs to be done," said Kevin Voelkel, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas.
The facility will continue to produce the face shields until the end of the month.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg said, “It’s inspiring to see how our community is coming together while we all do our part to stop the spread of COVID-19.”
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Toyota said it has halted vehicle production at all of its plants in North America, including one on San Antonio, until at least May 1 due to the crisis. Production is slated to resume on May 4.
COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.
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