1.5m join online queue for face masks
HONG KONG/TAIPEI: Nearly 1.5 million people joined an online queue to buy face masks from chain pharmacy Watsons on Friday in Hong Kong, where a shortage of surgical masks has added to anxiety about the spread of a deadly coronavirus that originated in mainland China.
Watsons told local broadcaster RTHK that, though only 30,000 people were able to purchase the masks, 1.49 million people joined the queue to register for a purchase before the online page closed Friday afternoon.
At 4 pm (0800 GMT) the wait just to access Watsons Hong Kong website exceeded 15 minutes.
The Watsons queue to register to purchase a pack of 50 masks reportedly jumped to 700,000 within two minutes of the midday opening.
Those able to register submitted their ID card number, email address and mobile number, and received digital instructions on how to pick up and pay for their masks.
Street queues lasting hours and in some cases overnight have attracted hundreds in recent weeks as desperation increases.
A woman in her 60s named Irene said she queued on the street for nearly three hours to buy masks last week only to find she did not make the cutoff quota.
“I feel disappointed, and sometimes I feel a little bit hopeless,” she said. “My family of four has 40 masks left and you don’t know what is going to happen, you may come down with [the virus] tomorrow.”
The Hong Kong government website states that “a surgical mask should be discarded after use and under no circumstances should it be used for longer than a day.” Medical professionals often use two to three per shift.
The government’s failure to help the public and medical workers acquire an adequate number of masks has intensified mistrust towards Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam and her cabinet at a fragile time following months of anti-government protests and economic decline.
In Taiwan too, people are keen to protect themselves against Covid-19 and leaders sought to reassure the residents that there is no shortage of protective gear.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and Premier Su Tseng-chang visited factories producing sanitizers and face masks respectively on Friday.
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