Volkswagen helps South Africa in battle against COVID-19

Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) has donated protective equipment to clinic employees to the provincial health ministry to better equip health care facilities in Nelson Mandela Bay to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the company and the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) set up a laboratory for molecular virology within 18 days and optimized the processes there to increase test capacities.

Protective equipment for healthcare workers handed over today includes 50,000 N95 masks, 65,000 disposable gowns, two million disposable gloves, and 1,000 visors. There are also 200 digital infrared thermometers and 190 devices for monitoring the oxygen content in the blood and the pulse of Covid-19 patients. Volkswagen had procured the protective equipment as part of its ongoing aid initiatives in the country. The protective equipment was financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The organisation Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) coordinated the project. As the main initiative of the Volkswagen Group South Africa in the fight against COVID-19, the former plant in Port Elizabeth - also with financial...