Easing of Covid-19 restrictions highlights Swiss mask shortage

Health Minister Alain Berset admitted on Thursday that Switzerland had been caught napping when it came to having enough masks to go around. While it is not required of the federal government to maintain stocks of masks for the entire population, Switzerland’s pandemic plan does require health institutions to have reserves of essential equipment, including masks. It is the responsibility of the country’s 26 cantons to enforce this.  

“In retrospect, it can be said that very many institutions and facilities did not have these reserves,” Berset told Swiss public broadcaster, SRF.