Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Article's PDF
Article's PDF
Mask shortages could loom once again as the highly contagious Delta
variant continues to spread across the U.S. and more individuals start to
heed renewed government advice to wear masks indoors and in high-
transmission settings again.
Demand for masks, as well as different mask varieties, has soared over
the past few weeks in tandem with a sharp rise in COVID-19 case
numbers tied to the Delta variant of the coronavirus, according to
manufacturers and market experts.
Some retailers first noticed the uptick in late July, after the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention encouraged even vaccinated individuals
to wear masks in public indoor settings again as breakthrough
infections were reported among vaccinated people.
"We were worried we weren't going to sustain this business when things
quieted down. I am happy we are here to help make a quality-made
American product, so no one has to worry about quality," he said.
Wolin had already scaled back production and, in the weeks preceding
the CDC's announcement, was operating with only a skeleton crew.
"We employed in our heyday well over 150 people and we were
working 24/7, and then the demand really dropped off when people
started vaccinating and dropping mask mandates back in May. Now,
when they put in the mask recommendation, it went through the roof,"
he said.
"At the peak, the general public was happy to let first responders and
frontline workers use N95s. Now those guys have caught up and I'm
seeing a surge in demand from regular people," he said of his customers.
Mask sales had been in decline week-over-week since May until the last
week of July, according to the same data.
This was true for Michael Sinensky, the CEO of WeShield, a supplier of
personal protective equipment including masks, gloves and gowns.
"Things slowed down in the second quarter of this year, but recently,
with the Delta variant exploding, demand has been surging," Sinensky
said. "We're back to the difficult stage where it's hard to keep up with
demand and that's because normal, everyday citizens are now wanting
PPE."
It's the additional orders from typical American consumers that's most
straining his current supply, according to Sinensky.
"Now that cases are rising, and more people know other people who are
getting sick even with vaccines, that's really adding to the panic buying,"
he said. "That's when things get dicey."
It's difficult for sellers like Sinensky to manage inventory, given how
unpredictable the the coronavirus has been. "There was a time when it
slowed and you don't want to get stuck with worthless inventory," he
said.
Today, however, he's confident that masks will be a part of our daily
lives for much of the foreseeable future: "I don't think it's going to be a
quick thing. So we're not as hesitant to start stocking supply as we were
a few months ago."
"Roaring" demand for kid-size masks
Because masks and materials are becoming scarce again, prices are
rising every week. Sinensky now pays 5 cents a mask, up from half a
penny two weeks ago. He sells them for roughly 10 cents each.
He's also noticed more mask orders coming from some of the least
vaccinated parts of the U.S., including Florida and Texas.
"We were going to leverage our new customer acquisitions and start a
brand of kids apparel, but in the past three weeks demand has come
roaring back," Hartel said. "It's at the same level if not higher than when
it peaked last year in July and August."
"We had an excess, like many suppliers," Hartel said. "But at the
moment it seems like we're on pace to get close to clearing that."
First published on August 11, 2021 / 12:12 PM
© 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Web link: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/face-mask-cdc-guidelines-covid-high-
demand/