Germany to buy 'unbelievable amount' of facemasks - TV

 

FILE PHOTO: Masks are displayed at a general store, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin, Germany, April 3, 2020. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi

 

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany is ramping up efforts to purchase facemasks in an effort to contain the coronavirus, the country's vice chancellor, Olaf Scholz, told the Anne Will television show on Sunday.

 

"We need unbelievable amounts of masks. Our entire effort is to procure them. That is where we stand today," he told the programme which was broadcast on ZDF.

 

Germany's efforts to buy masks comes at a time when the United States has stepped up efforts to do the same, prompting complaints about the superpower's "Wild West" tactics in outbidding buyers who have already signed deals.

 

Scholz wants to bring production of important medical equipment back to Europe, a step that will make some of these goods more expensive but more accessible, he said.

 

Scholz further ruled out a cut in income taxes for Germans, given the need for the country to repay economic rescue packages designed to prop up the economy.

 

(Reporting by Edward Taylor; Editing by Daniel Wallis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-04-06

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

I can hear the patter of little feet as the ' but masks are totally useless ' brigade

gather themselves to defend going maskless.

15 hours ago, car720 said:

I just read that the yanks pirated the whole shipment at  Bangkok airport.

Thais would never let that happen. ...............except for a stuffed A4 envelope.

I am amazed, here in Europe, when I go to the shops once a week for essential supplies, that so few people wear masks. It is actually insane when you consider the risk they are taking.

I am learning that, when a real crisis hits, a lot of people have trouble adapting to the new reality, and cling to the idea that it isn't really happening or, at least, does not need to be taken seriously. There seems to be a sort of pride in it.

 

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Germany to buy 'unbelievable amount' of facemasks

I don't believe it!

let them have their masks... or they will build tanks!!

52 minutes ago, Logosone said:

It's not insane at all not to wear masks, the scientific evidence that masks many any difference at all is non-existent.

 

What really happens in crisis is that people get so scared they try to cling to the idea that they have any kind of control over the events, and they have a cherished belief that masks make a difference.

 

The evidence does not support that.

 

These German masks are for medical employees and police. The German health minister has made clear that there is no obligation to wear a mask. German senior doctors have confirmed that masks are of no use, and the head of the RKI has confirmed there is no evidence that masks protect another party if one has the virus.

 

A covid19 carrier walks past you and sneezes in your face unexpectedly - would you have wanted an N95 facemask on ?

 

 

3 hours ago, car720 said:

I just read that the yanks pirated the whole shipment at  Bangkok airport.

You heard wrong

US conglomerate 3M on Saturday denied German claims that a shipment of 200,000 medical face masks ordered by the city of Berlin amid the coronavirus pandemic had been confiscated in the Thai capital, Bangkok, by US officials.

If that crisis will learn the western countries not outsourcing important things, especially for health reasons and produce this for higher costs: we learned a lot. We have to get rid of depending on countries such as india, china ect. producing medicine!

21 minutes ago, BTB1977 said:

You heard wrong

US conglomerate 3M on Saturday denied German claims that a shipment of 200,000 medical face masks ordered by the city of Berlin amid the coronavirus pandemic had been confiscated in the Thai capital, Bangkok, by US officials.

 That 3M has denied this happened does not make it untrue. 
 

I’m not saying it is true but I’m not going to take 3M’s denial as proof it isn’t. 
 

Do you have a link to an independent and credible source proving this story is false?

 

Genuine request. 

Edited April 6, 20206 yr by Bluespunk
Punctuation

1 hour ago, Logosone said:

It's not insane at all not to wear masks, the scientific evidence that masks many any difference at all is non-existent.

You keep repeating this falsehood relentlessly through many threads. Your links to 'proof' say anything but what you claim. Most talk about their own studies' failures, none even tried to measure real masks' efficiency. One of your references only talked about tee shirts.

 

There is tons of literature proving the efficiency of different kinds of masks, even from manufactures, all of which you ignore.

 

Masks do work according to their specifications, especially N95,N99, N100, types.

 

If not, why is your own country Germany making such a fuss? This is duh level science!

2 hours ago, donnacha said:

I am amazed, here in Europe, when I go to the shops once a week for essential supplies, that so few people wear masks. It is actually insane when you consider the risk they are taking.

I am learning that, when a real crisis hits, a lot of people have trouble adapting to the new reality, and cling to the idea that it isn't really happening or, at least, does not need to be taken seriously. There seems to be a sort of pride in it.

 

 

Did you see Trump say at a press conference that masks aren't necessary and he won't wear one? Many people hear that and listen. 

6 minutes ago, jadee said:

Did you see Trump say at a press conference that masks aren't necessary and he won't wear one? Many people hear that and listen. 

No, he never said masks are not necessary. Just the opposite.  From the press conference:

 

"The CDC is recommending that Americans wear a basic cloth or fabric mask that can be either purchased online or simply made at home, probably material that you’d have at home. These face coverings can be easily washed or reused. I want to emphasize that the CDC is not recommending the use of medical grade or surgical grade masks, and we want that to be used for our great medical people that are working so hard and doing some job. Medical protective gear must be reserved for the frontline healthcare workers who are performing those vital services"

Posts using a derogatory comment in reference to the German people have been removed. 

3 hours ago, donnacha said:

I am amazed, here in Europe, when I go to the shops once a week for essential supplies, that so few people wear masks. It is actually insane when you consider the risk they are taking.

I am learning that, when a real crisis hits, a lot of people have trouble adapting to the new reality, and cling to the idea that it isn't really happening or, at least, does not need to be taken seriously. There seems to be a sort of pride in it.

 

 

It is compulsory in Austria to wear masks when shopping. And only necessary essential suppliers are open.

Instead of scouring an empty market for masks they should get companies in Germany to make them. The name "Hartmann" springs to mind. They can bring their mask production back from China.

Why woud Trump go to so much trouble over a shipment of masks.?

He obviously is an unbeliever or is he just scared of ruffling his ?hair 

58 minutes ago, natway09 said:

Why woud Trump go to so much trouble over a shipment of masks.?

He obviously is an unbeliever or is he just scared of ruffling his ?hair 

When you would have any understanding of how the US health service is organised, you could have known buying mask abroad is nothing for the US government, but for OR traders with demands from US hospital organisations of these organisations themselves. Health care in the US = BIG BUSINESS, at least... for those who can afford it.

Why any mask should not help ( a little) ? Even when I hold an A4-envelop between myself and any other, I create a barrier to fluid drops which might be infected. When this decreases teh risk of getting covid-19 with just 5 %, I am already happy. I am NOT asking for a 100% guarantee, I will not get it whatever contacts, but.. just a decrease of risk. So, I made something myself, being washed after every use outside. 

7 hours ago, car720 said:

I just read that the yanks pirated the whole shipment at  Bangkok airport.

 

Can you post a link? Because I read where 3M deny the German politicians unsubstantiated claims. 

 

 

Another German politician complaining that German plans to hoard masks are being thwarted by "Ameica" - without any reference to who America is, or any factual information to support his claim.

 

But of course, sees nothing wrong with Germany trying to greedily buy up all the masks!

1 hour ago, natway09 said:

Why woud Trump go to so much trouble over a shipment of masks.?

He obviously is an unbeliever or is he just scared of ruffling his ?hair 

Or when wearing a white mask, it will turn orange in the sides because of all the fake tan

If anyone can do it the Germans can.

5 hours ago, JimmyTheMook said:

 

A covid19 carrier walks past you and sneezes in your face unexpectedly - would you have wanted an N95 facemask on ?

 

 

do these masks cover your eyes too? If someone sneezes in your face, only a face visor will protect you. If someone sneezes in my face, its a baseball bat i would want, or a shotgun !!

None of these masks can protect you from a Corona Virus which is only 0.12Micron wide. Medical, Surgical and N95 masks are intended for bacteria and particles of 0.3Micron and above. A cloth mask cannot even protect you much from PM2.5 air pollution. The water in droplets evaporates and particles such as viruses under 0.3micron can pass through. Tests show that a sneeze can propel particles with bacteria and virions up to 8.2Metres without a wind and more with a following wind. However, people feel more protected if everyone wears a mask at the moment. Out doors the weather is generally 30C and above with 80% humidity so that the virus will only survive a few hours outside of a host, quite different to Europe and North America where in New York the temperature is 10C to 19C. Under those conditions the virus can survive for up to 28 days The main problem here is in shopping malls, offices, boxing stadiums and large entertainment buildings, with centralised airconditioning systems that drop the temperature and circulate the air. Under those conditions it can survive outside a host for up to a week. It was the right decision to shut down the shopping malls therefore. If you want to make a mask that works for COVID-19, search for 0.1Micron precision textiles like we use in filtration systems.

 

Masks won't block the virus, however they will block droplets of water loaded with the virus, droplets such as those produced by coughing and sneezing. So a mask is of use, even more so if combined with a plastic face screen.

6 hours ago, JimmyTheMook said:

 

A covid19 carrier walks past you and sneezes in your face unexpectedly - would you have wanted an N95 facemask on ?

 

 

sneezing is not common for covids

7 hours ago, JimmyTheMook said:

 

A covid19 carrier walks past you and sneezes in your face unexpectedly - would you have wanted an N95 facemask on ?

 

 

Never ever happened in my life that someone sneezes in my face.

 

EVER!

 

What nonsense.

2 hours ago, Logosone said:

Never ever happened in my life that someone sneezes in my face.

 

EVER!

 

What nonsense.

 

Regardless of your opinion, https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3078407/coronavirus-world-health-organisation-reverses-course-now-supports wearing face masks in public

18 hours ago, car720 said:

I just read that the yanks pirated the whole shipment at  Bangkok airport.

Turns out the German broker decided to screw his customer and divert the shipment.