As reports circulate suggesting masks may soon become mandatory in indoor public spaces nationwide, authorities, retailers and manufacturers say there are enough of the protective gear in stock to last until the end of the year. The compulsory stockpile of masks maintained by the Federal Department of Defence is “overflowing”, a spokesperson told Swiss public television SRF. Major retailers Migros and Coop also said they did not anticipate any supply bottlenecks. Hospitals, which experienced a shortage of personal protective equipment in the early days of the pandemic, have since ensured sufficient reserves for at least 12 weeks, the secretary-general of the Cantonal Directors of Health told SRF. Local mask manufacturer Wernli, in canton Aargau, currently produces 500,000 masks a day. “We are coping really well with customer orders, and this should be more or less the case for our competitors too,” said Felix Schönle. Some 20% of masks sold in Switzerland are manufactured in...
