In these times, in which the COVID-19 pandemic hits the world mercilessly and speed in protection is vital to winning the war, the work in the Melissa Clothing base business unit (UEB), in Las Tunas, belonging to the National Company Boga, has not been as easy as the saying of "sew and sing" refers.

Las Tunas, Cuba.- The truth is that, since last March, even before, when the country was already preparing to face this new coronavirus, the sewing machines of this establishment were at full speed and regardless of the hours or days of rest, this courageous group was not intimidated and was over completing the plans for the manufacture of suits for the Health sector.

Those who work here, submerged in green fabrics, guarantee trousseau such as facemasks, boots, hats and gowns with the parameters established for the correct protection. In each of these pieces, at the same time that they rectify their seams, they impregnate the seal of gratitude for those brave ones who fight head-on against COVID-19.

"It has certainly been a challenge," says the head of the Business Group, Ana América Escalona. "The productions had to be done in record time, because a great danger lurks. However, that pressure never negatively influenced the attitude of the workers; on the contrary, it motivated them to sacrifice much more, since each one knew the importance of protecting health personnel, so that later they could take care of humanity."

Recently, this entity received the Labor Prowess Flag "for the results obtained in the preparation of garments for Public Health; among them is the manufacture of more than 367 thousand facemasks, 30 thousand caps and six thousand 649 sets for patients in record time,” detailed Ana América.

In addition to these tasks, "Melissa has the responsibility to manufacture the school uniform assortments to assume the demands of this province and others, so that all commercialized productions leave from our workshops. In the case of the workshop that located in the municipality of “Jesús Menéndez,” there is a specialized technology in skirts for Primary School students, while the Jobabo and Colombia groups undertake the making of shorts and pants," she explained.

The sewing machines do not stop despite having already achieved the manufacture of 88 percent of the plan for school uniforms; while they wait for the fabrics related to this production, they concentrate on guaranteeing the outfits to the ministries of the Armed Forces and the Interior, in addition to continuing with the productions for Public Health.