Milan – Security matters

As Italy moves into a new phase of emergency management, thus closing phase 2 of the lockdown, the Municipality of Milan has compiled figures on how it has stepped up to bolster the health system and ensure compliance with lockdown measures. This includes the provision of over 2 million face masks and conducting more than 15,000 controls to monitor whether regulations are being followed. Read more here

Contact: Olimpia Vaccarino Aureli

Vilnius – Masks for the elderly

Vilnius has given 2,000 reusable face masks to senior citizens. As the Lithuanian government is moving ahead with easing quarantine, free food support to the most vulnerable people is being replaced with reusable face masks. Seniors, disabled people and other Vilnius residents at risk, little by little are starting to move around the city and supermarkets. Therefore, Vilnius Municipality decided give them free reusable face masks with the symbol of the capital and flyers with recommendations on how to protect yourself. More information here.

Contact: Jurga Pociūtė-Mikūtienė

Poznan – Masks for seniors by seniors

The City of Poznan, along with foundations and non-governmental organisations, has started the ‘Seniorro Masks’ campaign, where seniors sew protective masks for seniors. The material is provided together with instructions and patterns. Volunteers work together applying physical distancing and using face protection themselves. Masks are treated before distribution. Read more here (in Polish)

Contact: Anna Aleksandrzak

Guimaraes – Nursing homes open for visitors again

Old people living in nursing homes in Guimaraes, Portugal, can receive visitors again from next week, following the lockdown due the corona pandemic. The municipality is providing masks and other protective material and has established special regulation. In a first stage, each resident should have only one visitor, once a week, and the visits must not exceed 90 minutes. You can read more here (in Portuguese)

Contact: Crisalia Alves

Muenster – Free masks on Europe Day

Ahead of Europe Day on 9 May, the city of Muenster, Germany, handed out 5,000 free face masks with the design of the European flag. As part of the gradual easing of corona related restrictions, the masks are to symbolise the solidarity and protection of all Europeans. Markus Lewe, Lord Mayor of Muenster, personally took part in the campaign, as you can see in the video.

Contact: Anna Chevtchenko

Paris – Easing the lockdown

Reopening schools with small groups of pupils, making face masks mandatory in the metro and devoting roads to biking, to prevent an intensive surge in car use – these are some of the steps out of the corona lockdown in Paris. The city has compiled a summary of measures. You can download the document here

Contact: Jean-Yves Camus

Beşiktaş – Waste collection of masks and gloves

Dedicated bins for masks and gloves were placed at certain key points such as public institutions, markets and family health centres. The medical waste thrown into the waste bins will be duly disposed after they are properly collected.

The current protective equipment recommendations is also bringing along the problem of medical waste. Uncontrolled disposal of waste masks and gloves may increase the risk of citizens’ being infected. For this reason, Beşiktaş municipality started implementing a different practice for a proper waste management. Read more here (in Turkish)

Contact: foreignaffairs@besiktas.bel.tr

Nantes – Supporting citizens’ initiatives

On 20 March, the City of Nantes set up a mutual aid platform to collect donations, facilitate and support initiatives, recruit citizen volunteers and collect information on the needs of the people of Nantes. The 15 or so agents involved were able to ensure 2,000 contacts and connections. Nearly 750 Nantes citizens have applied for volunteer missions and 300 of them have already been mobilized to help with shopping, food distribution, supporting families, medical and social institutions and making deliveries. More information (in French) here.

In order to support initiatives for the manufacture of masks for the general public made of fabric, to meet the demands of professionals and individuals, the city has set up a system, ‘A vos masques’. The city also supports the Association Des Femmes en Fil (Women in Thread) which brings together some 15 neighbourhood associations and already more than 100 seamstresses with the aim of making 15,000 masks for Nantes neighbourhoods. More information (in French) here.

Contact: Nicolas Joffraud

Vilnius – Mask Fashion Week

Mask Fashion Week opening ceremony in Vilnius. Photo by Go Vilnius

The streets of Vilnius are currently dotted with giant photos of people wearing protective masks made in creative way. The images are part of a new project called Mask Fashion Week, which drew its inspiration from members of a Facebook group known as Mask Your Fashion. Unlike a traditional fashion week, the project is open to everyone: the city streets have become a runway. While still adhering to safety recommendations, audiences are invited to travel the Mask Fashion Week route through the city by foot or in their cars and reflect on the role and look of the new accessory that has unexpectedly become part of our day-to-day lives. The city’s outdoor advertising stands now feature photos of masked project participants with the slogan ‘Creativity Cannot be Masked’. You can read more here

Dusseldorf – Masks for all

Mayor Thomas Geisel handing out masks © City of Dusseldorf/Melanie Zanin

Since wearing a mask in public transportation and shops is compulsory now, city staff of Dusseldorf and volunteers are distributing masks on different places in the city. For the elderly, 50,000 hygiene kits including masks have been prepared and can be ordered for home delivery. Additional 15,000 masks have been donated for refugees. With online videos, the city shows how to sew your own mask. You can read more here and here (in German)

Contact: Stefanie Nietfeld

Muenster – City hands out EU face masks

Ahead of Europe Day (9 May), the City of Muenster plans to hand out 5,000 free Europe themed face masks to the public. As part of the gradual easing of Corona related restrictions in everyday public life, the masks are to symbolise the solidarity and protection of all Europeans.

The community of Munster merchants will support the gesture by decorating every building along the Prinzipalm
arkt, Munster’s main city centre street, with EU flags on the day

Contact: Anna Chevtchenko

Vienna – Sewing masks

Employees of the facility management department of the City of Vienna decided to sew 2,500 masks in order to protect their colleagues. 50 female room attendants decided to take matters into their own hands and to produce masks to equip all their colleagues with reusable (and washable at 60 degrees) cotton masks. Luckily, a remaining stock of a total of 77 metres of dark grey cotton fabric could be purchased on a short notice; and a workshop to produce a prototype was organised.

Continue reading “Vienna – Sewing masks”

Ourense – Mask making at home

Thousands of 3D-printed view-masks are made at home by citizens with the assitance from the Knowledge Center La Molinera. This initiative is coordinated by the City Council of Ourense and providing equipment protection to health professionals, security forces, local business and citizens. Watch a video from the initiative here

Contact: Jorge Pumar Tesouro

Nice – 25 tons of protective equipment from China

750,000 masks, gowns, overalls, gloves and floats for protection against infection with the corona virus have arrived in Nice. The equipment arrived in a cargo plane from China on Easter Monday. The 25 tons of medical equipment are destined for the Nice University Hospital and public services carrying out a priority mission. You can read more here (in French)

Contact: Jérôme Sieurin

Muratpaşa – Mask distribution

In Antalya, Muratpaşa Municipality has established a small army for the distribution of 450,000 masks in the district. A fully equipped team of 250 people started to distribute these washable masks from house to house.

The teams will deliver 3 washable masks and mask bags with a warning message against the corona virus to every household in the district. Those who are not at home are left with masks on their doors. Read more (in Turkish) here.

Muratpasa mask team

Contact: Ibrahim Utku

Antalya Muratpaşa – Printing masks

Antalya Muratpaşa Municipality has started to produce face shields with 3D printers. 3D printing has allowed the municipality to produce 2,150 visors within three days, which have been distributed to professionals at risk, especially those working in hospitals. Read more (in Turkish) here.

The municipality is also working on many other hygiene measures, including disinfecting public areas, markets, service buildings and cultural locations such as Hadrian’s Gate. Read more (in Turkish) here. Ozone rooms for disinfecting people who enter the main municipal building have also been set up. Read more (in Turkish) here.

Contact: Ibrahim Utku

Brno – Free face masks for the homeless

Face masks are handed out for free to homeless people by the Social Care Department and the city police of Brno, Czechia. The city has set up a container to collect used masks which are disinfected and then given out again. Brno provides information on the corona measures in six languages: Czech and English, and abridged versions in Russian, Romanian, Arabic and Vietnamese. Read more here

Contact: Pavlina Sukupova

Lille Metropole – Support to hospitals

Lille Metropole is supporting local hospitals by supplying barriers and security guards, new signage and food from the reserves of the municipal office’s restaurant. The metropole is also working to promote the production of protective masks for caregivers by local textile companies and independent dressmakers. Read more (in French) here.

Contact: Christophe Bolot

Braga – Partnering up with Shenyang

The Municipality of Braga will receive 10,000 disposable medical masks and 500 individual protection medical kits from the Chinese city of Shenyang. The two cities have a friendship agreement and want to become twin cities. Shenyang has also offered to share experiences regarding the fight against the corona virus and the management of crisis situations. Read more (in Portuguese)

Contact: Nuno Gouveia

Porto – Securing crucial supplies

Building on good relations with its twinned cities in China, the Porto City Council has secured supplies of new ventilators.
In another partnership, with a local company, the City Council has agreed to start immediate production of personal protective masks.

The Mayor of Porto gives summary of recent measures

Read more here and here

Contact: Daniel Freitas

Brussels – New production chain for protective masks

A local company and a network of volunteers are helping the Brussels Capital Region produce at least 100,000 face masks for use mainly in nursing homes, the homeless sector and home help and care services. The masks are subject to quality control measures before being made available to the Brussels government.

Read more here

Contact: Geert de Roep and Antoine Umbrain