3M CEO: Our medical masks should not be showing up in stores
3M is the largest maker of medical face masks, specifically the N95 respirator mask.
In light of this desperate need, Roman said 3M’s N95 masks should not be showing up in stores, he told CNBC.
Roman said he was “disappointed” that the masks were selling in some stores over the weekend, alluding to Target.
“We apologize for our error. We worked quickly to remove these masks from our stores and donated them to the Washington State Department of Health for distribution to local hospitals,” a Target spokesperson told CNN Business.
The retailer said it has thoroughly reviewed its full inventory for any additional masks and will donate them the medical community.
Pressure is mounting on medical equipment makers to quickly boost production to meet the rapidly rising new cases of coronavirus infections.
Roman said 3M has ramped up production of N95 respirators and doubled its global output to nearly 100 million per month.
“I want people to know we are doing all we can to meet the demands of this extraordinary time and get supplies from our plants to where they’re most needed as quickly as possible,” he said.