Posted on 01/30/2020 1:00:34 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
Long lines form at pharmacies and crowds of panic-buyers strip supermarket shelves in Hong Kong as fears spread through the crowded territory over China’s new coronavirus epidemic.
As a territory that lost nearly 300 people to the SARS virus in 2003, Hong Kongers are taking few chances over the latest disease outbreak that began in central China and has since spread.
Usually clogged streets have been uncharacteristically quiet, with light traffic and crowds over the Lunar New Year holiday.
However, the one place Hong Kongers are still willing to gather in sizeable numbers is outside their local pharmacies, hoping to snap up rapidly diminishing supplies of surgical face masks.
In the middle-class district of Tseung Kwan O, hundreds of people yesterday patiently lined up for hours to buy masks at a pharmacy that, like many outlets, was now limiting sales to one box per person.
“No matter how long this queue takes and how much it costs, I will at least buy enough for myself,” a 26-year-old woman, who gave her surname as Tam, said.
Like many in the line, she was angry at local authorities.
“I’m not satisfied with what the government is doing to prevent the epidemic. It doesn’t close the border to mainlanders, and there is a lack of the supplies for masks in the market,” she added.
Hong Kong has resisted public pressure to close its border with the Chinese mainland, although it has shuttered some crossings.
A 17-year-old student, who gave her first name Michelle, said she had waited for more than an hour to get a box of masks.
“I hope this will be enough for a month. If I don’t have enough masks, I might need to stay at home and can’t go to school,” she said.
The South China Morning Post reported that some people camped out overnight after Watsons, one of the territory’s largest pharmacy chains, said a limited supply of face masks would be sold yesterday.
Angry customers argued with staff outside some stores when supplies ran out, the paper reported.
Supermarkets have also seen their shelves cleared in some districts. “I bought a bag of rice and some canned food, too,” a 60-year-old retiree surnamed Sin said. “I am trying to avoid gathering with friends and reduce the amount of time to dine in at restaurants.”
Hong Kong’s government said it was “striving to procure more surgical masks to cope with the epidemic,” adding it had contacted 140 suppliers in 10 countries.
It added that the “supply of surgical masks in the market would still be tight in the near future.”
The territory’s Customs Department said it had also launched an operation to weed out counterfeit masks that did not comply with international safety standards.
Because that could get you on the nut-job conspiracy ping list!
It could...
At no point in history has any government ever wanted its people to be defenseless for any good reason ~ nully's son
Nut-job Conspiracy Theory Ping!
To get onto The Nut-job Conspiracy Theory Ping List you must threaten to report me to the Mods if I don't add you to the list...
I prove that point every time I go to the super market.
I pick the one with three people ahead of me rather than nine.
Invariably, the 12th person in that other line is done before I am.
I get the person whose never used a card reading machine before, or they want to hand in 75 coupons, shape of a toothbrush, or... it’s always something.
It will keep them from sneezing on you.
Primary purpose of masking is to prevent as much exhalant particles as possible. Chances are a certain % of otherwise healthy people are contagious. Secondary purpose is to limit density of exposure. They started wearing them years ago cause they needed too. All that smog must have been a micro rich environment.
You too?
See, now I’d be in THIS line:
Footage shows people clamouring to get face masks at factory in Jiujiang
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyUc9_4Mg8I
Hmmm
d":^)
Love the MAGA hat.....
Thank you.
I thought it was a nice inclusion. I’m glad others enjoy it.
Actually, the President Trump hair is a nice touch as well.
For that matter, it IS President Trump,as I looked at it and thought about it a bit.
Smile...
HK is learning what real communism is.
Ahhhhhh.... BAT SOUP. Made with Chernobyl Sewage Water. Live mice side order to use in dipping.
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