A Turkish packaging manufacturer is producing 20,000 anti-fog face shields a day for medical personnel.

Armasan Ambalaj, based in northwestern Tekirdağ province, switched to producing personal protective equipment for medics during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The company said it can ramp up production to 400,000 shields a day if there is demand.

Board chairman Temel Mahmutoğlu said his company has a considerable tonnage capacity in terms of raw materials and assembly.

The shields' anti-fogging feature reduces the effects of exhaled moisture, which is crucial for frontline medical personnel treating COVID-19 patients and wearing the shields nonstop for hours.

Mahmutoğlu noted that the company obtained the CE marking for its product, which indicates conformity with health, safety and environmental protection standards.

Demand for protective medical equipment, including face masks, shields, goggles and gowns, has surged due to the outbreak of COVID-19, a disease caused by the highly contagious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

Medical professionals around the world, especially in virus hot spots such as the U.S., Spain and Italy, have criticized authorities for the lack of protective gear for those on the front lines of battling the disease.

Hundreds of doctors and nurses have contracted COVID-19 while attending to their patients.

The disease that originated in Wuhan, China in late 2019 has infected more than 1.6 million people in every corner of the world. Over 96,000 people have died due to COVID-19, while 360,000 have recovered.