The government is warning sellers of surgical masks that they will face fines if they are found hoarding supplies or inflating prices. The warning comes amid as concern about a coronavirus outbreak centered in China creates a surge in demand for surgical masks in Taiwan.
Logistics teams across Taiwan have been busy this week getting surgical masks to the places where they are needed. Demand for masks has shot up in Taiwan since the discovery here of several coronavirus cases linked to an outbreak in China.
Surgical masks are a common-enough sight in Taiwan, worn in public by both the sick and those trying to protect themselves from illness. But this recent surge in demand has overwhelmed supplies. One vendor estimates demand is now at more than 20 times above normal levels.
The government has banned the export of medical-grade masks and has started rationing them out to stores. Since Tuesday, it’s released six million a day, limiting purchases to three per person. It’s helped, but some shoppers still report traveling to more than ten stores without finding any masks in stock.
Though supply is set to stabilize, there is still concern that businesses may hoard their stock, inflate prices, or misrepresent their goods while supplies remain short. One store in Nantou County has been forced to take carbon filter masks off its shelves after shoppers complained that they were mislabeled as medical-grade masks and marked up five times the normal price in violation of regulations.
Stores that fail to follow regulations face fines of up to NT$2 million (US$66,000), and the government is warning that those caught hoarding supplies or price gouging face fines of up to NT$50 million (US$1.6 million).