Personal protective equipment - where is it available and who needs it?
25 April 2020
Retailers of facemasks currently include:
- New World supermarkets - approx 1 million facemasks available for sale now and 8 million in stock;
- Bunnings – approx $4 million worth of facemasks on order;
- Mitre10 – 2 million facemasks on order; and
- Warehouse Group – secure stocks of facemasks and can scale up supply if needed.
Other suppliers of facemasks (made in NZ and currently available in NZ) - click on links below:
Other manufacturers that may be able to produce PPE can be found on the ManufacturingNZ website.
Which workplaces should use PPE? Ministry of Health says:
- If people can maintain more than 1 metre distance, facemasks and gloves are not recommended (eg retail outlets, pharmacies, education facilities).
- If people can maintain more than 1 metre distance but work where they are touching surfaces or items touched by others, they may consider wearing gloves, but facemasks are not recommended (eg supermarkets, service stations).
- If people are unable to keep more than 1 metre distance from others, facemasks and gloves are recommended (eg police, prison staff, customs staff).