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Yle reported on Sunday that THL would intend to recommend the use of face masks in public spaces. MAGAZINE / ANTTI AIMO-KOIVISTO
Demand for consumer face masks has exploded in the early part of the week, and at least in many Prisms and Citymarkets, only empty shelves await mask buyers. Support for the observation can be found at Kesko and the Finnish Cooperative Society (SOK).
– Over the past week, sales tripled and yesterday even increased tenfold, which means that some of the stores have run out of masks, says Harri Hovi, Kesko’s Director of Goods.
According to the court, there are plenty of masks in stock, so replenishment on store shelves is coming in the next few days, depending on the store’s load days. He believes that in addition to Citymarkets, the mask shelves may have temporarily emptied in other K-Group stores selling masks.
– I think that tomorrow it will be largely okay. This three- and ten-fold increase in sales was not quite as fast as the hoarding of toilet paper at the beginning of the year, so we have had time to react better to this, Hovi says.
Kesko intends to update the mask sales forecast if the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) issues a recommendation on the use of masks.
Almost all of last week’s sales per day
Janne Paananen, SOK’s selection director, talks about the same mask interest.
– Yesterday’s sales were surprisingly hard for us, and the products may be temporarily out of stock in some stores, but more replenishment is coming tomorrow, he says.
According to Paananen, almost the same number of masks were sold during Monday as last week in total. However, masks can still be found in warehouses.
– We fill the stores to the best of our ability. In some stores, there may be a small shadow based on yesterday’s sales, but tomorrow the product will go on the shelves again, Paananen says.
Face masks for consumers are primarily intended to prevent humans from spreading pathogens, such as the coronavirus, to other people. The mask itself does not substantially protect the user from the risk of infection.
Yle reported on Sunday that THL would intend to recommend the use of face masks in public spaces. Mika Salminen, Director of THL’s Health Safety Department, told Yle at the time that the matter would be discussed early this week.
Masks are generally available in pharmacies
Merja Hirvonen, CEO of the Finnish Pharmacy Association, says that the message of the association’s report is that masks are available. The survey has been carried out on a representative sample.
– There have certainly been temporary breaks in some pharmacies, Hirvonen estimates.
According to him, demand has been growing significantly since the weekend. More products will be added to pharmacies as they can be ordered.
Hirvonen says that regional differences in the sales of masks arise mainly due to public transport. Masks are more in demand where there is public transport. In places where there is no public transport, there is less demand.
– However, there have been messages from all over Finland that demand has increased, Hirvonen says.