Kiyoshi Kurokawa, a prominent Japanese government adviser, said Tokyo Olympics may have to be postponed again if the novel coronavirus mutates into a stronger pathogen.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike told Reuters the Olympics, originally scheduled to start this month but put off to 2021 because of the pandemic, must go ahead next year as a symbol of world unity in overcoming coronavirus.
If you are going to the trouble (mild discomfort for some), time and expense of wearing a mask, you want to be sure it works as intended.
If you are a health care professional, or other worker at higher risk, such as customer service, etc, you want to be doubly sure your N95 mask, FFP2 NR Mask, KN95 Mask, or NIOSH N95 mask is genuine.
Note, just looking at it, checking the packaging, etc, even checking FDA listing, may seem like a good start. In reality, will not guarantee anything for you.
There is flood of counterfeit product on the market and even the regulatory authorities find it hard to distinguish the real from the fake, just by looking at it.
There are unscrupulous factories churning out counterfeit N95 masks, NIOSH N95 masks and other masks, often at higher prices than the genuine articles!
…typically they first buy batches of legitimate product from a certified factory, then copy everything they need…however typically cut a few corners, especially on some of the internal materials, essential to a safe mask, but unseen unless you destroy the mask & / or test it.
To be fair, many government authorities are on the lookout for counterfeits, both in country of origin, and import customs.
Also, many local authorities are conducting random testing of products in their local markets, which is also good.
Here is the scary thing.
Even the experts, at places such as CDC, NIOSH and test labs, cannot tell a real NIOSH N95 mask from a fake NIOSH N95 mask, let alone the other masks, such as a regular N95 mask, CE certified FFP2 NR Mask or KN95 Mask…
…just by looking at them!
The only way to be sure, is to test a NIOSH N95, N95 mask, FFP2 NR Mask, or KN95 Mask in a lab, which is what authorities do.
To achieve and certification, factories need to make a compliant products, then prove it in a test lab.
There is follow-up to ensure ongoing compliance.
…so how can it be that there is the product in the market that is not compliant?
In most cases, it is a counterfeit or fake product.
….and obviously anyone going to the trouble to make counterfeit masks, can copy the packaging documents etc and a significant amount will “get through”.
The key is that your retailer or wholesaler, is buying from reputable partners, and they are buying “factory direct”.
For large retailers and wholesalers looking for products, First-res, ships bulk quantities factory direct.
All of our factories have been making COVID PPE, since before COVID!
Some have been NIOSH certified for more than six years.
If you are buying from a reputable reseller that you know, check they (or their importer) are shipping NIOSH N95 masks, N95 masks, CE certified FFP2 NR Masks, KN95 Masks factory direct.
Australian states on Tuesday tightened restrictions on movement as authorities struggle to contain a fresh outbreak of Coronavirus in the country’s southeast that is starting to spill into other areas.
With growing fears of a second coronavirus wave nationally, two states extended border restrictions and Australia’s most populous state imposed limits on the number of people allowed in large pubs.
Wearing masks in public is obligatory in many parts of the world during any health crisis, let alone a pandemic, however, is resistance around in other places.
Despite the clear scientific and medical evidence around the benefits, some political leaders insist it should be a personal choice.
President Trump on Saturday wore a dark mask affixed with the presidential seal in public for the first time, after repeated urging from aides that it was a necessary message to send to Americans resistant to covering their faces.
Scott Morrison has announced that Australia will reduce the rate of international arrivals by more than half – with at least 4,000 fewer Australians returning home each week – and states will charge people for compulsory two-week hotel quarantine.
The national cabinet met to consider the worsening second-wave outbreak, which has seen the reimposition of stage-three lockdowns in Melbourne and isolated Victoria with border bans imposed by every state and territory.
South Australia Premier Steven Marshall announces mandatory Coronavirus test from Victoria within 24 hours of their arrival and will be forced to wear a face mask when they do so.
All travelers would be required to self-isolate for 14 days, submit for a COVID-19 test within 24 hours, and again 12 days later.
The World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledged “evidence emerging” of the airborne spread of the novel coronavirus.
Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead on the coronavirus pandemic at the WHO, told a news briefing that “We have been talking about the possibility of airborne transmission and aerosol transmission as one of the modes of transmission of COVID-19,”.
The Federal Government is considering bringing forward planned income tax cuts forward as part of Coronavirus economic response..
Mr Frydenberg said further income support would be made available after the September deadline for JobKeeper and JobSeeker. Major banks had agreed to extend the period under which loans could be deferred by people facing financial hardship due to COVID-19.
Greater Melbourne and Mitchell Shire will go into lockdown for six weeks, to deal with a surge in coronavirus cases in the state.
With the recent spread of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, people are looking to face masks as a way of protecting themselves and others from the virus, which causes the disease COVID-19.
But does wearing a face mask prevents the spread of coronaviruses?
Yes, wearing a face mask can help reduce the spread of the coronavirus by people who have COVID-19 but don’t realize it.
On 5 June 2020, WHO published updated guidance on the use of face masks for control of COVID-19. This guidance is based on evolving evidence and provides updated advice on who should wear a mask when it should be worn and what it should be made of.
World Health Organization updates guidelines on Masks.
Notably in areas with widespread infection:
First-Res has FDA, CE and PMDA certified masks available to ship, factory direct. (3 ply, 5 play, medical masks, surgical masks, N95, KN95, FFP2 NR, etc)
Except from todays WHO announcement, here is what’s new:
That means, for example, that when a doctor is doing a ward round on the cardiology or palliative care units where there are no confirmed COVID-19 patients, they should still wear a medical mask.
In light of evolving evidence, WHO advises that governments should encourage the general public to wear masks where there is widespread transmission and physical distancing is difficult, such as on public transport, in shops or in other confined or crowded environments.
Our updated guidance contains new information on the composition of fabric masks, based on academic research requested by WHO. Based on this new research, WHO advises that fabric masks should consist of at least three layers of a different material. Details of which materials we recommend for each layer are in the guidelines.
