Dear Friends,
We have delivered almost 10 Million masks this month!
As many communities begin to ease COVID-19 restrictions we continue to be busy placing orders and answering questions about masks in general and particularly the masks we carry.
I wanted to use this week’s email to answer some of the more common questions we have been getting. We will soon put together a FAQ on our website, but for now please find some common questions and answers.
Please note these are just our opinions and you should also consult your local public health authority for the most up-to-date advice?
1. With all the new rules and communities opening up, do I really need a mask?
Response: Many of us live in different communities that have been impacted by COVID-19 in different ways. From our perspective, wearing a face masks in combination with regularly washing hands and social distancing is believed to be key to keeping you safe.
2. How do I know your masks are safe?
Response: In China we have a team of 10+ people that work with Oliberté that are on the ground visiting, inspecting, and validating our suppliers. We work with factories that meet all local and international requirements both as a business and as a factory that makes medical and non-medical devices.
All our factories as well have the required certifications or test results to demonstrate they meet the appropriate standards. When possible, we do additional testing here in Canada on the products.
If at any time a customer would like information on the factory we have used for their particular mask, they can contact us and we would be happy to provide any and all information.
3. I want the N95, but you have a KN95 – what is the difference?
Response: We currently sell the KN95, which is an N95 equivalent. Specifically, the KN95 is a Chinese standard sometimes referred to as GB2626-2006. There are many standards the N95 needs to meet; the KN95 meets or exceeds many of them.
The KN95 is an ear-loop construction meaning that it goes around your ears, while many N95 (not all) face mask have elastic straps that go behind your head.
The KN95 is a recommended alternative to the N95 by Health Canada, the FDA, and the CDC.
4. Where are your masks made?
Response: Currently our masks are made in China.
As a socially-minded business that started working in Liberia, then Ethiopia, now Canada, we have suppliers from all over the world. Oliberté’s mission is to support worker’s rights and job creation in Canada and everywhere we work.
We do our best to ensure that that we provide the best product, caring for the people that make and get our products, while respecting the places we work and live in.
We are excited to soon be making some of our masks in Canada.
5. When will the masks be made in Canada?
Response: We will be receiving our mask making machinery in about 2 weeks. From there it will take a few days to assemble and build the machinery.
We hope to be in production by June 1st, starting with our non-medical masks and launching with our medical masks June 15th. We will continue to import the KN95. See below a picture of our packaging that will launch soon.
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So that is just our 5 most common questions we get, but there are lots more. If you have any specific questions that we can help with, do not hesitate to email, or call us anytime.
As always, thanks and stay safe.
Tal
