The police in North Rhine-Westphalia will be equipped with 2.5 million washable cloth face masks. The first batch of 1.25 million is currently being distributed. The main purpose of the masks is sustainability: they can be washed around 30 times. They also ensure a more uniform appearance for police officers when they wear the dark blue masks. Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) is pleased in an interview with the NRW police employee magazine, "Streife", that the masks with a small NRW logo are manufactured by a North Rhine-Westphalian company.
The general mask requirement in NRW does not apply to security authorities and the fire department. However, police officers are required to wear a face mask or respirator if the Minimum spacing cannot be guaranteed.