(Yicai Global) Jan. 27 -- Protective face mask manufacturers in Shanghai's Jinshan district have resumed production during China's Spring Festival holiday and their daily output is expected to hit 500,000 units in round-the-clock operations to give protection to city residents against the deadly novel coronavirus sweeping the country.

Workers at Shengxin Shanghai Textile Technology volunteered to return to the grindstone after learning of the swift spread of the emerging epidemic, The Paper reported yesterday. The firm can turn out 150,000 masks per day at the moment. Its employees used to work only during the day, but night shifts are now also on the rota to ratchet up to 24 hour-long tours of duty to increase capacity.

More staffers will returning to work by Jan. 29, the fifth day of the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday, Hao Runlin, general manager of Yuchuan Sanitary Products Shanghai, told the online news portal, per its report.

Editor: Ben Armour