KUWAIT: Chairman of Kuwait Society of Engineers (KSE) Faisal Al-Atel said the society has made nearly 40,000 face shields that will be offered for free to frontline workers fighting the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). "Thirty-nine state departments have received these transparent masks and will distribute them to the working teams soon," he said yesterday.

"These include the ministries of health and interior, the National Guard, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Special Forces, the Environment Public Authority, the Public Authority of Manpower, Kuwait General Administration of Customs and the Fire Service Directorate."

"Nearly 84 service centers belonging to the Ministry of Health and the Armed Forces also received consignments of these masks," Atel pointed out. KSE has opened new production lines in collaboration with the engineering department of the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research and the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET). The society started producing more practical facemasks and other personal protection items, Atel noted.

On cooperation with the government, the KSE chair said the cabinet responded promptly to the KSE request for allocating three quarantine sites. The three sites, with a 300-person occupancy each, were fully equipped and one of them went operational, he stated. Atel added that the KSE set up teams of volunteers comprising of more than 200 male and female engineers to back up the various government bodies in managing any emergencies. - KUNA