With the continuous promotion of vaccines, fewer and fewer people wear masks in the United States. The closure will affect approximately 470 employees at the Smithfield, Rhode Island plant, and 700 employees at the Phoenix plant. At present, many states in the United States have stopped requiring people to wear masks, and vaccines have given more people the confidence to give up wearing masks. The company will continue to produce masks at its highly efficient and automated N95 mask factory in Chandler, southeast of Phoenix.