Face mask prices surge amid coronavirus threat
The price of face masks has surged three- to fivefold in the Arakan State capital Sittwe following confirmation this week that the deadly coronavirus has made its way to Myanmar.
25 Mar 2020
Hnin Nwe | DMG
25 March, Sittwe
The price of face masks has surged three- to fivefold in the Arakan State capital Sittwe following confirmation this week that the deadly coronavirus has made its way to Myanmar.
The price of a mask had been between K300 (US$0.21) and K500 before health officials confirmed the first two cases of the deadly virus in the country on March 23. The masks are now selling for K1,000 to K1,500.
Face masks had sold for a mere K50 before the threat of coronavirus contagion became growing global concern early this year.
Ko Nay Myo Oo, the owner of a pharmacy in Sittwe, said medicinal companies and wholesalers raised the price of masks because demand was outstripping supply.
His shop sells about 160 masks a day and he had to buy masks from other towns to meet the demand, Ko Nay Myo Oo said.
As part of its coronavirus preventive efforts, the Ministry of Health and Sports has instructed the public to avoid crowded areas, to wash hands thoroughly and often, and to cover one’s nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing.
One person in Chin State and two people in Yangon Region have so far tested positive for the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, according to the MoHS.
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