About 11 million of the masks will be produced by the end of April and about 5.5 million N95 masks will be produced as part of the deal as well.
The production of the advanced masks was made possible after the Defense Ministry helped import a special machine for production, the only one of its kind in the country.
"Manufacturers of medical equipment in Israel have advanced capabilities and excellent production skills, that we have worked to strengthen since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis. These are essential lines," said Avi Dadon, the head of the Procurement and Production Directorate. "The Procurement and Production Directorate works all year round to place preference on Israeli procurement, with an emphasis on the periphery. This is a mission for us to continue to act for the good of the industry even in hard times such as these."