Female prisoners were put to work today (March 7th) making coronavirus face masks amid a shortage in Thailand.

The inmates at the jail in Trang, southern Thailand, received two days of training before being instructed to produce the white two-layered face masks.

Officers and inmates have been ordered to wear them to help contain the spread of the deadly COVID-19 bug, which has infected more than 100,000 globally.

The masks are also handed out to visiting relatives and sold in nearby towns for 10 baht (0.24GBP) amidst a national shortage, which has even seen hospitals run low on masks.

Phakdi Kaewniam, the commander of Trang Provincial Prison, said: ''We're sewing face masks because of a shortage nationally. Everybody must wear them for personal use and we are also selling them outside."

Phakdi said the women can produce 400 masks a day.

''Everybody's working hard to fight the coronavirus,'' he added.

Thailand has 50 recorded cases of the infection, which started last year in Wuhan, China, either at a fresh meat market or at a research laboratory.

The coronavirus has infected more than 100,000 people and killed at least 3,500 around the world.

Female prisoners were put to work today (March 7) making coronavirus face masks amidst a shortage in Thailand.

The inmates at the jail in Trang, southern Thailand, received two days of training before being instructed to produce the white two-layered face masks.

Officers and inmates have been ordered to wear them to help contain the spread of the deadly COVID-19 bug, which has infected more than 100,000 globally.

The masks are also handed out to visiting relatives and sold in nearby towns for 10 baht (0.24GBP) amidst a national shortage, which has even seen hospitals run low on masks.

Phakdi Kaewniam, the commander of Trang Provincial Prison, said: ''We're sewing face masks because of a shortage nationally. Everybody must wear them for personal use and we are also selling them outside.

Phakdi said the girls can produce 400 masks a day. He added: ''Everybody's working hard to fight the coronavirus.''

Thailand has 50 recorded cases of the infection, which started last year in Wuhan, China, either at a fresh meat market or at a research laboratory.

The coronavirus has infected more than 100,000 people and killed at least 3,500 around the world.