France plans to quickly ramp up domestic production of face masks and respirators to respond to urgent needs of hospitals and caregivers during the coronavirus epidemic, French President Emmanuel Macron has said.

Macron said consumption of face masks in France had soared from four million per week to more than 40 million and the state’s pre-crisis inventory of 140 million masks was insufficient.

The world has changed and there is now unprecedented tension on global markets and France needs to boost domestic production to become self-sufficient, he said during a visit to the Kolmi-Hopen face mask factory.