Demand for face masks has risen at a Dubbo pharmacy as the number of COVID-19 cases grows across the state, while face masks sewn at a Warren studio have sold out.
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Pharmacist Edwina Capell said there had been a "bit of a spike" in the purchase of face masks at Tim Koerstz Pharmacy since late last week.
With soaring COVID-19 infection numbers in Melbourne and fresh outbreaks in Sydney, NSW health minister Brad Hazzard earlier this month recommended masks be worn if social distancing was not possible.
Ms Capell said the pharmacy had seen demand increase among a broad section of customers, but particularly among people with other health issues and elderly community members.
"I think they are definitely a great barrier tool if they have other health conditions," she said.
"Obviously they have to be worn correctly as well, which we can help with in store."
While some items had been hard to source when the pandemic first broke out earlier this year, Ms Capell said at the moment she did not have any concerns about a supply issue with masks.
Warren hatmaker and farmer Lou Webb is working around the clock to replenish stocks after her masks sold out.
Ms Webb said she had received an "absolutely massive" number of online orders in the past eight days as the COVID-19 outbreak in both Victoria and NSW grew.
The second wave in Victoria had created a "high demand" for face masks, but there had also been a lot of sales to NSW customers and even to Australians living in the United States, Ms Webb said.
From Thursday face masks will be mandatory in Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire in a bid to rein in community transmissions.
We're just going day and night, trying to get these face masks out the door and people are needing them right now, or yesterday, so there's a lot of pressure to get these face masks handmade, sewn and done.
- Face mask sewer Lou Webb
"We're just going day and night, trying to get these face masks out the door and people are needing them right now, or yesterday, so there's a lot of pressure to get these face masks handmade, sewn and done," Ms Webb said.
"...It's all hands on deck here in the studio, I've got all family members working towards the making, suring up supply and the distribution, as well as answering the phone calls and the emails."
She was also featured on Buy from the Bush and she was busy with work for months after, but when COVID-19 hit, she was forced to pivot her business.
"I started making the face masks in late March because the business, Lou Web Collections, I could see things were going to get bad because a lot of my selling platforms were dissolving and I had lots of felt hats that i had only just purchased," she said.
"And I knew that, okay, well how else can I prop the business up if I can't sell any hats.
"And I thought face masks, I'll go for face masks in relation to the COVID."
The Australians living in the US ordering her face masks were loving the animals prints she was using, Ms Webb said.
"...it makes me happy because these are Australians who are overseas in their crisis, with the virus, and having a little bit of Aussie on their face with the face masks, I've got koalas, wombats face mask print, just gives a little bit of Australia that is a comfort to them at the moment," she said.
"The face masks are gorgeous, they're fun, they're not presenting as a medical blue number, they've got some personality about them."
Faye Wheeler
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
