Radio Taiwan International
Date: 30 January, 2020
By: John Van Trieste

The government is warning sellers of surgical masks to follow regulations amid a spike in demand.[/caption] 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.
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