Coronavirus: Search goes on for more masks to keep pace with demand

The federal government has ordered half a billion face masks and is still trying to secure more.

The federal government has ordered half a billion face masks and is still trying to secure more, as health authorities around the world scramble to find enough personal protective equipment for hospitals, aged-care centres and others who need it.

More than five million of those surgical masks have arrived since Friday and more deliveries will arrive over the coming months.

The Australian revealed this week surgeons in public hospitals had bought painting masks from Bunnings and other doctors were buying full-face snorkels because they were so worried supplies of safety gear would run out.

However, state and territory governments have not released figures on how many masks could be required over the course of the pandemic, based on their modelling of the virus, making it hard to assess the scale of the potential need.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian this week called on manufacturers in the state to help fill gaps in the supply of medical and hygiene products, including protective clothing, sanitiser and eyewear products.

A Victorian health department spokesman said that before the outbreak, its hospitals used 520,600 regular surgical masks a month and 96,100 N95 masks, required for infected patients and suspected COVID-19 cases.

The Northern Territory government said it previously used about 9000 surgical masks a month in its hospitals.

However, other states and territories refused to reveal any figures; NSW and Queensland said they had “sufficient” supplies although some hospitals in both states have had shortages of masks or gowns, say doctors. ACT and Tasmania failed to respond at all.

The Victorian government has ordered more than 100 million regular masks and 18.6 million N95 masks as part of a $1.3 billion injection of resources into its health system. This is in addition to the masks ordered by the federal Health Department. It will begin taking delivery of the masks within two weeks, a spokesman said.

Western Australia’s supplies received a boost this week from mining magnate Andrew Forrest, who announced his charity Minderoo Foundation would give up to $160m for medical supplies. It has drawn on the Fortescue Metals Group’s high-level contacts in China to procure vital equipment, with the help of China’s ambassador to Australia, Cheng Jingye. More than 90 tonnes of equipment, including a million N95 masks, 400,000 surgical masks, 2.3 million gloves, 10,000 medical goggles and 33 ICU-grade ventilators will arrive on three flights by Saturday.

However, this is expected to account for only seven to eight weeks of demand in Western Australia, according to the state’s director-general of health, Russell Weisz.

Dr Forrest revealed suppliers in China were requiring upfront payment for medical supplies, creating risks for governments and businesses importing goods.