Chief Executive Carrie Lam visited the Correctional Services Department’s Lo Wu Correctional Institution to inspect the new production line for surgical masks, which was launched today.

In the face of the coronavirus epidemic, the department has steadily increased its production of surgical masks since January, raising the output from about 1.1 million masks per month to the current level of about 2.5 million.

With new production lines coming into operation, the total output of face masks is expected to further increase to 5.4 million per month.

Mrs Lam helped package the masks and thanked volunteers, comprising the department’s off-duty and retired personnel, for their devotion to the production work to meet the keen demand for masks.

Later, Mrs Lam handed out face masks to families in Tin Shui Wai and visited elderly people in a village in Lau Fau Shan to learn about their lives during the epidemic and to distribute anti-epidemic kits.

She also reminded them to pay attention to personal hygiene.

The Chief Executive had earlier decided to pass all face masks donated to the Government by various sectors to non-governmental organisations so that they can distribute them to underprivileged groups.