Coronavirus COVID-19

Government has distributed 6.7 million face masks since 10 March

Thursday 26 March 2020

The Government of Spain, through the Ministry of Health, has distributed face masks on a daily basis to the regional health departments since the start of the health emergency, both before and after the state of emergency was declared. Since 10 March, a total of 6,748,268 face masks have been distributed.

The regions to receive the largest number of face masks to date are Madrid, with 1,922,068 and Catalonia, with 887,073 respectively. Official figures confirm a broad distribution to strengthen supplies, in addition to the procurement by the regional governments themselves, which have always been authorised to make their own purchases.

This is in addition to the announcement made on Wednesday by the Minister for Health, Salvador Illa, of the procurement of health material from China for the sum of 432 million euros, which has risen to 509 million on Thursday, a higher amount because new purchases are being made on a daily basis.

This new contract involves the purchase and distribution over the course of the next eight weeks of a total of 550 million face masks, 5.5 million tests and 950 assisted breathing machines, in addition to the production of material through national industries, which is already under way.

Non official translation