Face Mask Sales Rise Amid Growing Delta Variant Cases

Masks are flying off the shelves again as cases of the COVID-19 Delta variant increase and are expected to climb even higher, according to new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control.

Sales were up 24% this week ending Tuesday, compared to the previous week, after two months of declining revenue, according to the Adobe Digital Economy Index.

Instacart said its online mask sales have increased since July 4 after a three-month drop, and Google searches for “masks” have doubled since the CDC recommended indoor mask warrants even for them. people fully vaccinated on Tuesday, the search engine said.

The increase occurred even though the chances of getting seriously ill with the Delta variant are extremely low for inoculated individuals, scientists say.

About half of Americans are fully vaccinated, and those who are not currently account for about 99.5% of COVID-19 deaths and 97% of hospitalizations.

As more municipalities demand indoor masks again, New York City is expected to issue new local guidelines next week based on new advice from the CDC.

The surge in mask sales comes after items were cut sharply following CDC guidelines in May that vaccinated Americans could leave their face coverings at home under most circumstances.

Weekly mask sales fell from $ 101 million to $ 37 million between April and June.

“People just weren’t buying them – the masks were really disappearing,” said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail.

Now, uncertainty over the direction of the pandemic and mixed messages from health officials mean retailers are unsure how to proceed.

“Nobody really wants to go out and make another big commitment,” Saunders said. “Nobody knows what’s going to happen.”

At the start of the pandemic, 3M Co. increased its annual production of N95 masks from about 700 million to 2.5 billion.

CEO Mike Roman told analysts on Tuesday that 3M Co. was “ready to increase production in response to COVID-19 needs or future emergencies if needed.”

Vanessa Gordon, an independent mask maker who only sold around 100 face coverings last year amid stiff competition, is confident that she will now sell the rest of her inventory and produce more.

“People always get sick, even those who are vaccinated,” Gordon said. “It changes the mindset of people. I think we will be wearing masks for a long time. “

With AP wires