Around 35 million face masks were distributed across Switzerland by the end of April, the government’s top coronavirus pandemic officials have said, with more now available to the general public.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/SRF/swissinfo.ch/ilj
In all, 12 million of the masks went to retail outlets and the rest to the cantons, said brigadier Markus Näf, in charge of procurement at the defence ministry, at a media conference on Friday.
Näf said Switzerland had an additional 20 million masks in stock and the country was waiting for a further delivery which coming in on six airplanes.
Cloth masks were also now available to the public, as EMPA , the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, had published recommended specificationsExternal link from the National COVID-19 Science Task Force for these items, the official added. Several Swiss companies are now producing these types of masks. The price of masks has also fallen by two-thirds over the last weeks, commented Näf.
The country does not recommend the general wearing of masks for healthy members of the public, a move which continues to generate a lot of public debate. But officials say they may be warranted on public transport during rush hour traffic or similar settings in which socially distancing is difficult to maintain. In response to a question about masks and children, on Friday top health official Daniel Koch said that masks were only practical if someone could take them on and off independently and if they did not interfere with a person’s breathing.
Although face mask wearing in public is not so common in Switzerland – apart from in the heavily affected canton of Ticino where according to a recent survey half the population sometimes wears a mask out and about – there seems to be widespread support for the practice. A separate survey published on April 20 suggested that 60% of respondents were in favour of a face mask regime in an effort to stem the spread of Covid-19.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
This content was published on
The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
Ecological status of Swiss streams insufficient according to study
This content was published on
Pesticide use and obstructions of waterways have a particularly negative impact on sensitive organisms, completely absent in 70% of streams analysed.
Train line between Brig and Domodossola interrupted
This content was published on
One day after a derailment approximately 15 kilometres from the Swiss border, BLS is running buses for passengers between Preglia and Domodossola, in Italy.
Swiss football boss wants crackdown on individual hooligans
This content was published on
The head of the Swiss Football League says he prefers a harsher approach to individual hooligans rather than collective punishment measures affecting all fans.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Protective masks remain optional for the Swiss public
This content was published on
The government has decided not to oblige residents to wear face masks as the country starts relaxing coronavirus restrictions.
This content was published on
As Swiss public transport prepares to resume normal schedules, Swiss Railways has presented plans for preventing the spread of coronavirus.
This content was published on
Three-fifths of respondents in a nationwide survey have said they are in favour of the mandatory wearing of protective masks in public.
Easing of Covid-19 restrictions highlights Swiss mask shortage
This content was published on
The Swiss government says it is doing everything it can to procure face masks, which are still not officially recommended for the public.
This content was published on
“No,” say the Swiss government and the WHO; “yes,” say some European governments and Swiss politicians; “yes and no,” say many opinionated readers.
Swiss army recruited to ensure supply of medical masks
This content was published on
The Tages AnzeigerExternal link newspaper says the decision to bring in military procurement support was taken by the government in mid-March, around the time it ordered a nationwide shutdown of schools and non-essential businesses. According to the newspaper, one of the priorities is to bring up to 400 million medical masks to Switzerland by the…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.