Fiat Chrysler Chief Executive Mike Manley told employees that the carmaker would help with the production of masks during the coronavirus emergency, a union representative said on Monday.
Manley said one of the group's plants in Asia would be converted to produce face masks for healthcare workers and would quickly reach a target of one million masks per month, UILM union representative Gianluca Ficco said, quoting a letter sent by the CEO to employees.
Fiat Chrysler and luxury carmaker Ferrari are also in talks with the nation's biggest ventilator manufacturer to help it boost production of the life-saving machines which are urgently needed in the coronavirus crisis, company officials said last week.
In a tweet on Sunday, US President Donald Trump approved Ford, General Motors and Tesla to manufacture ventilators for its employees amid the outbreak of Coronavirus.
Ford, General Motors and Tesla are being given the go ahead to make ventilators and other metal products, FAST! @fema Go for it auto execs, lets see how good you are? @RepMarkMeadows @GOPLeader @senatemajldr— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 22, 2020
Beginning on Thursday, Tesla announced that its workers will receive masks and have their temperature checked prior to entry, Wednesday night's email said, adding that more hygiene stations will be added and the cleaning frequency of work areas be increased.
The coronavirus outbreak comes as Tesla ramps up production of its Model Y sport utility vehicle at the factory, which Musk has said will see higher demand than all of Tesla's other models combined.
Separately on Thursday, hundreds of Twitter users welcomed an offer by Musk to make ventilators for coronavirus sufferers, after the United States appealed for donations of respirator masks to combat a shortage.
On Wednesday, the World Health Organization said it was in talks with China and others to help ramp up supplies of health equipment, while General Motors and Ford Motor said they were in talks with White House officials.
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