Switzerland. Canton Ticino. Paradiso. Paradiso is a municipality in the district of Lugano. A FFP3 mask left on the ground by worker on a closed construction site. An FFP mask (Filtering Facepiece Particles, also called respiratory protection mask) is a type of protective mask certified by the European Union that serves to protect against particulates such as dust particles and various viruses in the air. The EN 149 standard defines three classes of filter efficiency for these masks, namely FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3. They are all examples of a mechanical filter respirator. The FFP3 mask is the most filtering of the FFP masks. It protects very fine particles such as asbestos and ceramic. It does not protect against gases and in particular nitrogen oxide. Due to the spread of the coronavirus (also called Covid-19), the Federal Council has categorised the situation in the country as “extraordinary”. It has issued a recommendation to all citizens to stay at home, especially the sick and the elderly. From March 16 the government ramped up its response to the widening pandemic, ordering the closure of construction sites, shops, bars, restaurants, sports facilities and cultural spaces. Only businesses providing essential goods to the population – such as grocery stores, bakeries and pharmacies – are to remain open. 22.04.2020 © 2020 Didier Ruef