GM General Motors Company

By Micah Maidenberg

General Motors Co. said that masks it is making for workers responding to the coronavirus pandemic will be available for delivery next week.

The car maker on Tuesday said 20,000 masks produced at its plant in Warren, Mich. will be ready April 8. It expects it will be able to make 50,000 masks a day as a production line ramps up. GM and the United Auto Workers union are seeking more than two dozen paid volunteers from Detroit-area plants to help with mask operations, the company said.

GM has faced pressure from President Donald Trump over the company's efforts to help fight the virus and last week the president criticized GM's efforts to make ventilators. The Wall Street Journal reported that company executives felt the president was unfairly targeting GM as it worked to make those machines.

A team focused at the Detroit-based car maker assembled on March 20 to start working on mask production, GM said Tuesday. More than 30 people, including engineers and designers, developed the product and sourced materials and equipment, the company said.

"GM is currently developing a plan for distributing the masks, including using some of this important safety equipment to protect employees in critical GM operations," the company said.

Write to Micah Maidenberg at micah.maidenberg@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 31, 2020 09:23 ET (13:23 GMT)

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