While many South Africans are working from home, some are still dependent on public transport. Commuters who are part of essential services as well as first responders, are more challenged with adhering to the physical distancing that is advised right now.
Given the global mask shortage and the call to act immediately to ‘flatten the curve’, the project sprang into action on Monday, 16 March.
Polo says it set up a task team at its shirt factory in Atlantis to manufacture the ‘commuter face masks’, which are not medical masks but rather a cotton fabric, washable and reusable facemask. The masks are currently freely distributed via the City of Cape Town to vulnerable residents at clinics and public transport interchanges.
According to the company, the factory will continue production until the pledge has been met and the masks have been delivered areas across the country that are most in need.
“As President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his initial address, our country’s ‘Thuma Mina’ moment is upon us as never before. As a fashion brand, this is our small way of helping our nation’s commuters and to stand alongside the health services who are hard at work at the front lines,” comments Polo MD Mark Oliver.
Zahid Badroodien, health councillor at City of Cape Town, adds, “We have distributed the first 10,000 masks so far and thanks to Polo South Africa for providing this much-needed resource.
