Comments

You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name

Your e-mail (optional)

Website (optional)

	My Original Nic Pic-a-Nic Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Foto

Submit your comments on this article

Europe

Germany Mandates Medical-Grade Facemasks

2021-01-24

[Business Media Georgia] Amid rising infections and hospitalizations associated with new, more contagious, variants of Covid-19 throughout Europe, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced that all individuals in the country would be required to wear medical-grade face masks, as opposed to merely cloth coverings, when in the workplace, on public transportation, and in shops.

Germans will be mandated to wear either single-use filtering facepiece respirator (FFP) surgical masks or FFP-2 masks, such as N95s.
I hope my Sonovia masks will qualify; they are made in Israel, but they do exceed N95 filtration.
Merkel said the threat of the U.K coronavirus variant, known as B.1.1.7., is the primary reason for the intensified regulations.

Germany is the first major European nation to require medical-grade protection, with Austria also set to introduce the same measures.

Over the past few days, France's government has acknowledged they are considering a similar mandate, with the nation's high council for public health declaring that many cloth masks do not guarantee protection against the new variants.

Posted by:Bobby

#14 95% not 85%

Posted by: Deadeye Jaiting7534 2021-01-24 23:02

#13 What about those who have been inoculated? They cant get COVID (85%) which means they pretty much cannot give it. No mask needed.

Posted by: Deadeye Jaiting7534 2021-01-24 23:02

#12 Maybe a little gold star for the new masks too?

I think the 'star' [of David] (which isn't necessarily gold) will go on your clothing and is given to those who don't wear a mask as they are carted off to camps.

It's been done before.

Posted by: CrazyFool 2021-01-24 19:01

#11 "what is their relationship with Merkel"

None?

Posted by: European Conservative 2021-01-24 18:52

#10 Who makes them, and what is their relationship with Merkel?

Posted by: James 2021-01-24 18:51

#9 I don't understand the crusade some people in the U.S. lead against wearing face masks in public.

They DO protect and are just a minor nuisance (unless you have to wear them for many hours which you don't. FFP2 (K95) masks can be purchased for 1 euro now (cheaper offers available). To wear them when shopping or using public transport is mandatory in Bavaria now.

Posted by: European Conservative 2021-01-24 18:50

#8 Er, pre-COVID, N95 masks were routinely used in industry, construction, and maintenance. i.e. sweeping floors. There are medical certified N95 and regular N95, but the latter have been grabbed for medical use, too. Luckily, I had a few boxes around and also found a current supplier.

It’s a shame the Trump administration didn’t do a better job gearing up for N95 manufacturing. Biden will fix that, of course. /sarc

Posted by: KBK 2021-01-24 18:35

#7 This is what's refered to as "Doubling down on stupid".

Posted by: ed in texas 2021-01-24 16:43

#6 And we know why they keep their population unarmed

Posted by: DarthVader 2021-01-24 16:28

#5 Well, isn't Germany planning on putting people in CAMPS so they can CONCENTRATE on being better citizens if they don't follow lockdown (and now mask) rules?
I mean, they did that 80-85 years ago so people could concentrate on being good Nazis.

Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2021-01-24 16:26

#4 Yee-double-ouch, #2 Raj.

And all too true. >:-(

Posted by: Barbara 2021-01-24 16:19

#3 And Lufthansa will mandate these masks on their flights in and out of Germany beginning 1 Feb.

Posted by: Clem 2021-01-24 13:59

#2 Maybe a little gold star for the new masks too?

Posted by: Raj 2021-01-24 13:52

#1 Perhaps something in black, by Hugo Boss?

Posted by: Frank G 2021-01-24 12:59

00:00