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ARCHIVED - Spanish government says facemasks will be available for all by next week
Production capacity is being increased due to the increased demand caused by Covid-19
Assurances were offered by the Spanish government on Thursday that by next week there will be enough facemasks for the whole population, restoring supplies to pharmacies of one of the most sought-after items in this country since the scale of the coronavirus emergency became apparent in early March.
According to Reyes Maroto, the Minister of Industry, this is due not only to extra supplies having been ordered from abroad but also to the stepping up of mass production within Spain: the national textiles federation Fedecom and other bodies have joined forces with major companies such as El Corte Inglés to produce 300,000 masks a day, the Ministry states.
Sra Maroto also stated that a detailed map is being compiled of the production capacities in Spain for all protective equipment, the aim being to make up for the shortfall in supplies, particularly in the medical and healthcare sector, during the pandemic. She predicts that by 20th April members of the public across the country will be able to purchase masks in pharmacies and other shops which remain open.
The whole topic of masks has been one which has occupied the headlines since the crisis began as there has not only been significant disagreement over the effectiveness of wearing masks, but also the lack of availability and whether they should be worn at all.
Certainly the problem of supply for medical professionals, emergency services, armed forces and the various police forces has been one of lack of availability of medically certified masks. Initially the government requisitioned supplies from many sources in an attempt to obtain sufficient quantities for initial use as stocks were ordered in from abroad.
Donations have been received from NATO, the WHO, EU nations and even China, as well as many private companies, and millions purchased via sources both in Spain and abroad, but still there is a shortage of not only masks but also protective equipment, and partially as a result of this, although there are undoubtedly other factors as well, more than 24,000 medical professionals and 9,000 members of the police and emergency services, have contracted the virus.
At one point the Policia Nacional were even printing their own masks using 3-D printers and in Lorca the council was spending the money raised through imposing lockdown fines on masks!
Slowly, the lack of professional protection is being addressed, although the general public is still experiencing significant problems in purchasing medically certified masks and there is a huge disparity in the prices being charged.
This morning we asked on social media sites whether masks were available and if so, at what cost, and the range of replies was astonishing.
Many areas of the country have no masks at all for sale anywhere, in others the local councils are handing out free masks to all of their residents (in Alhama de Murcia here in the Murcia Region for example, the council is delivering masks and gloves free to every household) and in some regions free masks are being given to either everyone or those considered to be in at risk groups.
Prices vary wildly from under 1 euro, to 15 euros in one case, although 2-3 euros for one mask seems to be an accepted "normal level" in most places. Several readers report purchasing online in spite of the fact that most masks sold online claiming to be medically certified are fakes, although some also accept that they know the masks are "probably no good, but it's better to have something rather than nothing."
Some readers are making their own masks, but this is a hugely controversial topic as these masks are considered in many circles to be more of a "mental comfort" than of any practical use, indeed, they are also being viewed as dangerous in some quarters as in most cases the fabric is of dubious origin, nothing is known about the medical status, ie contagious or not-contagious of the person who has made them, they are known to be useless in preventing the wearer from catching the virus, and fabric can itself carry the virus, so the masks can themselves become contagious.
A video prepared by the volunteer firemen of Tortuguitas in Argentina which went viral on social media demonstrates this clearly.
Clarísimo este video de los Bomberos de Tortuguitas sobre la (no) utilidad de los barbijos caseros 👇 pic.twitter.com/QAMIp4etzd
— Leandro Cahn 💚 (@leandrocahn) April 2, 2020
They show using an aerosol spray how substances simply pass through a mask despite the spray being far weaker than a sneeze, whereas a surgical mask is far more resilient.
Many local women's groups for example, are manufacturing masks, but there have been frequent press releases from the emergency services and health services asking the public not to donate these items as they are not suitable for medical use.
And of course, we have the never ending argument about whether wearing a mask is any good at all.
Initially those wearing masks were frequently sneered at, but as the crisis has developed and understanding of how the virus is transmitted has grown, it has now became widely accepted that wearing a mask does help to prevent droplets from sneezes and coughs, which are now known to travel up to 6 metres rather than the 1.5 metres originally quoted as the norm, from reaching the mouth or nose, as well as helping to prevent a contagious individual from spreading the virus. It is also less likely that a mouth, nose or eye will be rubbed or touched by the hand if the wearer has a mask on their face, and those wearing masks are more likely to take additional care and be aware of what they are touching, or the contacts they have, if they wear a mask.
It should also be said that wearing a mask is a reassurance for fellow shoppers, as it's extremely unpleasant and offputting to witness a fellow shopper sneezing and wheezing over the produce on sale; although most supermarkets are providing masks for shoppers several reports have been recieved by editorial this week of smaller supermarkets on resorts for example, allowing shoppers into their premises without providing masks. Not nice, particularly as residents are penned into some resorts and discouraged from shopping elsewhere!
The virus can remain active on fabric for up to 7 days, according to the Ministry of Health, so a mask itself can transmit the virus if it is not disposed of correctly after use.
This in turn, causes its own problems, as the Ministry reports that masks are frequently thrown on the floor outside supermarkets, causing a health risk, which is why so many municipalities are engaged in regular spraying of disinfectant in areas transited by the public, and are casually thrown into the waste, endangering those who process waste. The correct procedure is to put used gloves and masks into a plastic bag, which is then put inside a second plastic bag and disposed of in the general waste container (the recycling or should that be, lack of recycling implications don´t bear thinking about, but that's a topic for another day).
This week millions of masks have been distributed by the national government to workers returning to work in non-essential services sectors, although this has in itself been subject to criticism as insufficient numbers of masks are being made available and socialist councils have been accused of using the mask distribution as a propaganda exercise.
But the real problem facing all of us is the fact that until masks are freely available for everyone, the government is unable to proceed with any relaxation in its lockdown policy.
It is very much hoped that the first phases of a de-escalation process will include allowing those of us locked down at home to take some exercise, go for a walk, get a bit of fresh air, observing social distancing. But without masks, this isn´t going to happen, so the commitment of the government to guaranteeing supplies of quality masks are available to everyone is crucial as we all wait for good news about the relaxation of containment measures.
Image: One of 4 facemask manufacturing machines produced in China by the Spanish company Corporación Mondragón, due to arrive in Madrid on Friday. These machines will make it possible to produce another 10 million masks every month.
Remember: LOCKDOWN MEANS LOCKDOWN. STAY AT HOME. STAY SAFE AND DO YOUR BIT TO REDUCE THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS.
Follow Murcia Today on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest updates locally for the Region of Murcia and the main information for the rest of Spain: https://www.facebook.com/MurciaToday/.
Our local area groups are as follows. These are designed to filter locally specific information and may be used by clubs, charities, any of the businesses who work with us to ensure information is available to residents in English and for those living in the specific areas. They are not buy and sell groups, do not accept any bickering or argumentative so and so's, are not "open for any old rubbish" pages, and are not trying to compete with your local comunity groups, they are specifically for sharing good, relevant local information and we hope you will use them for that during this difficult time.
Around Mazarrón news, events and local info: Click to join
Mazarrón, Fuente Álamo, Águilas, Lorca, Totana, Puerto Lumbreras, Camposol, Alhama de Murcia. Click to join (all within a half hour drive of each other)
Mar Menor news, events and local info. Click to join (this includes all the Mar Menor municipalities and Cartagena)
North-west Murcia: Bullas, Mula, Cehegin, Caravaca, Cieza, Calasparra, Jumilla, Moratalla info. Click to join
What to do if you are in the Region of Murcia and believe you may have contracted the virus
The regional government has set up a special helpline to supply information to members of the public (900 121212) if they suspect that they may have contracted the virus rather than going straight to hospital or to a medical centre.
Sensible precautions
The advice being issued to members of the public by medical authorities all over the world coincides on the following points:
- Wash hands frequently with either soap and water or a sanitiser gel
- Catch coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues – and throw the tissues away immediately after use before immediately washing your hands!
- If you don’t have a tissue, use your sleeve – and wash the item of clothing used at the next opportunity
- AVOID touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
- AVOID close contact with people who are unwell
- Don´t panic!
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