Opera Houses In France Join Battle Against COVID-19, Make 'chicest' Face Masks
As the world is facing a shortage of PPE amid Coronavirus pandemic, costume makers from opera houses across France are now reportedly making face masks. According to an international media agency, since the beginning of April, Christine Neumeister, the costume designer of the Paris Opera, has been collecting masks from 30 of her couturiers have made at home.
While speaking to the news agency, Christine said that the first week her couturiers made 1,000 masks for the Red Cross and a maternity hospital, and the following week they made a similar number for Salvation Army. As per reports, the masks are packed into ‘tutu bags’ marked Opera de Paris’ and they are also among the 'chicest' PPE. Christine reportedly said that it is rewarding for them to know that their work can be useful in such unprecedented times.
With the rapid spread of the deadly Coronavirus and shortage of PPE, France is likely to make wearing mask obligatory in some public spaces once the lockdown restrictions are relaxed from May 11. Christine said that she opted for a mask with three folds which resembles a surgical mask and allows one to breathe better. She added that it is also made with lightweight poplin with a cotton fleece in the middle.
Furthermore, Toulouse Opera in Southwest France has also been making masks and will also be tuning out masks to the same high standards as the Paris Opera. The Bordeaux Opera and Marseille Opera are also doing their bit during the crisis. The opera houses even said that several musicians and orchestra, who are sewers, are also lending a hand to help fight the battle.
Meanwhile, France currently has more than 162,000 confirmed Coronavirus cases and the deadly virus has also claimed nearly 22,856 lives. As the ministry said that the mortality rate had declined steadily on the graph and was lowest for the past two weeks, President Emmanuel Macron reportedly said that he might “ease” some lockdown measures as of May 11.
He added, that might involve schools to resume first. However, he is yet to consider effective techniques of lifting the confinement in phases to prevent the second wave of the outbreak. Due to open on May 11, France has sought some more essential businesses to resume when the lockdown lifts.
