Ford Motor said it will make 50,000 face shields at car plants in Brazil and Argentina to donate in the fight against the coronavirus.
The accelerating outbreak has led global shortages of protective equipment such as face shields, sending costs higher and forcing doctors to reuse old ones or work without them.
Brazil’s government is having a hard time to buy additional medical supplies from China, as Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta accused the United States of scooping up gear and leaving providers to cancel their contracts with Brazil.
Ford said it is also helping with efforts in Brazil to repair old mechanical respirators, as part of a task force including several other producers.
Brazil has more coronavirus cases than any other country in South America.
About 10,278 people in Brazil have been confirmed as being infected with the coronavirus. The virus has killed 431 people in the country. In Argentina, there are about 1,353 confirmed cases and 42 deaths related to coronavirus.
