The US Department of Defense mandated the use of face coverings in military areas installations and bases to contain the spread of the virus. Credit: The National Guard.

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The US Navy’s aviation repair and maintenance facility Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) has manufactured cloth face coverings for employees to ensure their health and well-being during the battle against coronavirus (Covid-19).

The masks have been manufactured according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for employees who cannot effectively maintain social distancing precautionary measures due to the nature of their work.

The US Department of Defense (DOD) mandated the use of face coverings in military areas installations and bases to contain the spread of the virus.

A team of volunteers produced approximately 200 coverings per day and about 1,800 within a week.

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FRCE Commanding Officer Captain Mark Nieto said: “It’s incredible, and inspirational, to see what our team can accomplish when they put their minds to it.

“We have a number of volunteers who have come together to make this happen and I couldn’t be more proud of the effort.”

The team of Fabric Shop includes seven volunteers who did the sewing work.

Engines and Dynamic Components Division director David Rose said: “We received the cloth face covering blueprint from the CDC’s recommendation, so it was just a matter of getting the materials and setting up the production line.

“We had to research what materials were recommended by the CDC and from there were able to buy in bulk, so we had enough to outfit our present workforce.”

The production process of the protective masks included laying out the rolls of material, measuring the templates against the fabric, as well as cutting out the shapes and bungee cords for the ear loops.

After this, the pieces are transferred for assembling, packaging and are then delivered to the workforce.

FRCE flight equipment technician Dylin Contrabasso said: “I know we needed to get these in the hands of the people who work here.

“We fix components and aircraft every day, and if someone has the virus, they could pass it to someone else and shut down the whole production line.”