People Queue Around the Block in Hong Kong for Face Masks as Coronavirus Spreads
People queued around the block in Hong Kong on January 30 for protective face masks after a local pharmacy announced it was supplying limited quantities of the products amid the coronavirus outbreak.
A large queue was seen out the front of a Watsons outlet in Kowloon on the morning of January 30 in a video posted to Twitter. The pharmacy posted the day before that a limited number of masks would be distributed to stores.
In a Facebook post translated by Storyful, the pharmacy said: "We are sourcing anti-epidemic products that fit the standard, such as facial masks and hand sanitizers, from around the world, including Japan, England, Italy, Germany. For quicker delivery, we have arranged air delivery to Hong Kong.
“Tomorrow, January 30, there will be few facial masks and hygiene products to branches. Please understand that the amount is limited, so one person only allow to purchase one box (50 pieces). No reservations or pre-orders will be accepted. We are here for you in this battle.
“The next batch of products will arrive in Hong Kong in early February. We will inform you if any update is coming.”
People reportedly kicked in the doors to the Tin Shui Wai Watsons branch amid the coronavirus outbreak.
In a January 29 update, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said there had been 6,065 global cases of coronavirus, with almost 6000 of them in mainland China alone. 132 people have died in China from the virus, according to the WHO.
The rise in the number of cases prompted the head of the WHO to reconvene an emergency committee on the virus to hear whether the organisation should announce an international public health emergency. Credit: jresbalones via Storyful
