SAO PAULO, Aug. 26, 2020 (Press Release) -Since the coronavirus started to spread in Latin America, Empresas CMPC decided to take an active role in helping the community to cope with this pandemic that has brought both health and economic consequences, especially in those areas where the company has operations.
Last April, CMPC acquired a total of six machines for the manufacture of surgical type masks for Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Peru, motivated by generating a local, timely, safe and quality supply that collaborates in the task of reducing the risks of viral disease contagion.
In the case of Chile, CMPC committed 3 million masks -produced by the machine installed in the Softys mill in Puente Alto- to the National Supply Center (Cenabast), the entity in charge of the deliver of the masks to the public health services of all over the country and other entities according to their needs. To date, the company has donated 2 million masks to it and the main beneficiaries has been municipalities, foundations and firefighters.
In addition, to date, the company has delivered another 200 thousand masks to various entities and communes in Chile, such as the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights to be delivered to the Gendarmerie health officials throughout the country; and different communities of the country.
In the case of Brazil, from April to date, the company has donated more than 600 thousand masks in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, of which 400 thousand were destined to the State Government and the rest to the Gaucho municipalities where the company is present with forestry operation. By the end of August, a total of 1 million masks will have been donated for that state, all of them produced by Softys. Furthermore, in the state of Paraná, 260 thousand units have already been donated, of which 200 thousand were destinated for the State Government and 60 thousand for the municipality of Mallet; in Sao Paulo 560 thousand masks were delivered up to July, of which 350 thousand correspond to the State Government, 150 thousand to the municipality of Caieiras and 60 thousand to the municipality of Mogi das Cruzes. Finally, in Pernambuco 160 thousand masks were donated: 100 thousand for the State Government; 30 thousand for the municipality of Jaboatão dos Guararapes and 30 thousand for Recife.
Also, CMPC announced that will add a new mask manufacturing machine in Chile, which will also be installed at the Puente Alto mill. Thus, the company will achieve a production of 3 million masks per month in that country.
CMPC Solidaria
The initiative consists in delivering meals to elder people, many of whom are currently having difficulties to buy their basic needs, in the communes where CMPC has an industrial and forestry presence in southern Chile.
The solidarity meals are being held from Monday to Sunday during the months of July and August, in 6 communes of the Biobío and La Araucanía regions, being prepared every day between 60 and 150 servings per commune. This adds up to more than 50 thousand meals in these two months. In the commune of Puente Alto in the Metropolitan region, there will be also served, for two months, 200 solidary meals.
In addition, the project seeks to reactivate local small and medium-sized enterprises, for which reason, for the food preparation service there were hired local cooks and for the distribution of the meals, school buses and carriers, all of them from each sector, thus reaching directly to the home of each older adult.
All CMPC Solidaria processes have compliance with strict protocols for the prevention of infections, either by CMPC volunteers and contracted enterprises.
Supporting the population at risk
In addition to this initiative, in order to help in taking care of the most vulnerable population in the context of the health crisis caused by the Coronavirus, CMPC made a donation to the National Service for the Elder People of Chile (SENAMA) consisting of 100,000 units of Cotidian adult diapers and one thousand units of 1-liter Elite Professional alcohol gel bottles.
SENAMA will be in charge of distributing this aid, which will be delivered by the public entity in the most affected regions, such as La Araucanía, Biobío, Ñuble and Metropolitan.
In addition, on April 28, at the Chilean government house, the company made its contribution to nine residences of the National Service for Minors (Sename), which consists of hygiene and prevention elements, such as alcohol gel, surgical gloves, surgical masks, lab coats and face shields that will benefit 251 highly vulnerable boys and girls.
Also, CMPC donated 100,000 diapers to Teletón (Foundation dedicated to children´s rehabilitation), to be distributed among the families of the institution, and the company announced a new contribution consisting of 20,000 masks to support the work of the Teleton´s professionals, especially for when they return to face-to-face care in their rehabilitation centers.
Protecting individual collectors
Also, CMPC, committed to Chile’s paper and cardboard individual collectors, donated 250 hygiene and personal care kits together with the Ministry of Environment and the Fabril Development Society (Sofofa), and together with the Municipality of Santiago, the company officialized the contribution of another 250 kits and food baskets for the individual collectors that have a relationship with the company through its subsidiary Fibras, the largest recycler of paper and cardboard in the country.
Sanitizing streets and public spaces
On the other hand, continuing with CMPC’s commitment to its neighbors, the company is taking sanitary measures in the Chilean communes of Puente Alto and Buin (Metropolitan region); Santa Juana, Santa Bárbara, Quilaco, Contulmo, Tirúa, San Rosendo, Nacimiento, Laja, Los Ángeles and Mulchén (Biobío region); Angol, Los Sauces, Collipulli, Ercilla, Victoria, Nueva Imperial, Cunco, Chol Chol, Carahue, Toltén, Loncoche, Cañete, Gorbea and Villa Mininco (La Araucanía region), such as disinfection in public spaces, entrances of health centers, entrances of the plants of the company, and in the busiest streets.
Mobile Clinics
Also, together with the NGO Desafío Levantemos Chile, the company is part of the “Mobile Clinics” project, an initiative that seeks to decongest the public and private health network of the La Araucanía region, and also the commune of Puente Alto in the Metropolitan region, through vans that allow people to take medical care at their private homes, get medicines, get vaccinated against flu and even test for the coronavirus without having to leave their homes. To date, six Mobile Clinics are operating in the above-mentioned localities.
Field hospital in southern Chile
Since March of this year, the company enabled its former offices in the city of Los Angeles, Biobío region, in Chile, in order to transform them into a field hospital that seeks to help the regional health service decongest the Dr. Víctor Ríos Ruiz Assistance Complex, serving patients of low and medium complexity.
On June 4, CMPC handed over to the regional health authorities the fully equipped premises located on Avenida Alemania.
The dependencies were enabled with clinical spaces, a resuscitation room, staff residence, interior cladding, clinical and administrative furniture, as well as bathroom fixtures and accessories, with the provision of hot and cold potable water.