BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6
By Tamilla Mammadova – Trend:
Nearly 40,000 protective face shields produced by the Georgian company CaucasPack will be provided to front line healthcare staff, local civil servants and other at-risk personnel in Tbilisi and Georgia’s regions through projects implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Trend reports citing Georgian media.
As reported, the first 16,000 face shields will be distributed this week as part of a joint program of the European Union and the UN in Georgia.
“I am happy that the EU can help to provide additional 40,000 face shields to the men and women working on the front lines of dealing with this pandemic. I am also pleased that they are produced by a Georgian company, which has adapted to meet the new challenges,” said Carl Hartzell, the EU Ambassador to Georgia.
“With global supply chains overloaded and cross-border procurement impeded, we’re delighted to see Georgian manufacturers rise to the challenge,” said Head of UNDP in Georgia Louisa Vinton.
According to her, CaucasPack is just one example of how local producers have stepped up to provide the protective gear that healthcare workers and civil servants need to stay safe during the pandemic, rescuing jobs and livelihoods in the process.
The face shields manufactured by CaucasPack are produced from recycled plastic bottles and are adjustable and reusable. In normal times, the Rustavi-based company produces plastic cups and food containers. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, it adjusted its production lines to make face shields. This shift enables the company to keep its staff of 99 employed despite the broader pandemic shutdown.
CaucasPack is one of an array of Georgian companies repurposing their production lines on short notice to battle the pandemic. Many, especially in the packaging sector, are supported by the EU and UN as part of the wider EU4Business program, which promotes private sector development in Georgia.
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