The use of masks has been compulsory for all citizens, in open and closed places where a distance of two metres cannot be guaranteed. As a result, two Basque companies have started to strengthen their business: New Sibol will triple production capacity and Bexen will double production capacity. For six months, Sibol will produce 10 million face masks and Oiarso will be able to produce 3.3 million more surgical face masks per month than now.

Direct grants to Nueva Sibol, S.L.U. and the Oarso cooperative

On 19 May, the Basque Government issued direct grants amounting to EUR half a million. The Basque Government shall grant a direct grant of EUR 582,876,67 for the purchase of general use surgical masks and machinery for the manufacture of FFP2 and FFP3 masks for professional use.

The majority, EUR 394,585, will be allocated to the Valencian company Nueva Sibol for the production of self-filtering face masks FFP2 and FFP3. It is based in Zamudio, but its owner is Italian: In June 2019, the Italian house Spasciani Spa purchased the full property of the French group Delta Plus Group, which dominated Sibole since 2006. The company Sibol, which until now was the only one manufacturing face masks with filters, was taken out by Tudela, according to the National Police. One in the Basque Country, one in the Spanish State and one in Europe. Since the coronavirus crisis, he has started working 24 hours from Monday to Saturday and has linked part of his production to Osakidetza.

Oiarso is a cooperative of the Mondragon Group and the Basque Government has offered him up to 188,291,67 euros for the manufacture of 2R surgical masks. Behind is the company Bexen medical: The company of Hernani, dedicated to the manufacture of medical equipment in the last 40 years, has begun in mid-March the manufacture of surgical masks type 2R in collaboration with the company Assembly of the Mondragon Group. With this direct aid, Osakidetza will open a new line of production of surgical masks and provides for the creation of five jobs. So they're going to increase by 40 million masks a year.

The Basque Government explains the subsidy as follows: "It is one of the measures being taken by the Basque Government to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The current context of the pandemic makes it difficult for health equipment to be delivered and purchased in quantity and time. Consequently, the Basque Government considers it necessary to create medical devices in the field in order to meet the protection needs of the population".

In this news we have gathered the news of several Basque companies manufacturing face masks.