So far, the City of Brussels has distributed some 22,000 masks to its citizens, 7,000 of which have been distributed to seniors, with authorities reassuring that they will not run out of masks.
The City has ordered 220,000 reusable and 1 million surgical masks, Philippe Close, Mayor of the City of Brussels confirmed Monday evening.
Like many other communes, the City of Brussels has planned to distribute reusable masks to its residents, having ordered them a little over a month ago after consultation with virologists at the hospital of Saint-Pierre.
The mayor explained in a video-conference, that the virologists already then thought that the protective masks would be useful during the deconfinement phase.
The City of Brussels, therefore, ordered 220,000 reusable cloth masks from three sewing workshops in Anderlecht. Seventy thousand have already been delivered and validated by Saint-Pierre hospital.
Since last week, residents in Brussels city can order them by phone (0800 35 228) or by e-mail (masque@brucity.be) and collect them. If the application is approved, a collection point and time will be communicated to the applicant.
Masks for seniors are delivered to homes.
All of this is independent of the 1 million surgical masks that the City ordered via the Iris network at a cost of 560,000 euros, for the City's administrative and social services.
The mayor did not deny that the City may have ordered a too high number of masks.
"But the health of Brussels residents is priceless. We have ordered enough masks so as not to fall short," he said.
The Brussels Times