As the coronavirus spreads across the globe, Sharp plans to temporarily modify at least one of its Japanese factories to produce face masks.
Located in Kameyama, Japan, the factory was previously used to manufacture LCD TVs. Now, Shape will use the facility to produce an estimated 150,000 face masks per day by the end of March. And if things go according to plan, Sharp says the plant could reach a peak capacity of half a million masks per day.
Public panic due to the coronavirus outbreak has caused a surge in demand for face masks. The US Surgeon General recently took to Twitter to warn that overbuying will put a strain on healthcare workers as supplies dwindle.
At the time of this report, the virus has infected roughly 90,000 people worldwide. Fear surrounding the disease has caused major disruptions to the global supply chain, impacting major players from Apple to LG.