BEIJING — Beijing will convert an industrial building into a new mask factory in six days to meet the surging demand amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The factory, being constructed by the China Construction First Group, is expected to produce 250,000 masks per day.

Construction started on Feb 17 with workers alternating shifts to ensure the project is completed by Feb 22. To protect workers from potential infection, the construction company will take temperatures on a daily basis and set aside rooms away from the living areas for workers with symptoms, according to Song Chao, a project manager with the company.

As China battles the epidemic, masks have been in great demand by medical workers, disease control personnel as well as the general public.

The government has encouraged medical supply manufacturers to step up production among other measures to fill in the supply gap.