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Hoarding, panic buying of masks will wreck Singapore's efforts to fight spread of Wuhan virus: Chan Chun Sing

SINGAPORE — Singaporeans should never succumb to short-term fears and behaviours such as panic buying and hoarding of masks, as these will "destroy the entire system" that the Government has built to counter infectious diseases, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said on Thursday (Jan 30).

Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said Singaporeans should not support such profiteers, and should be more judicious about their use of masks, pointing out that people should only use masks when they are feeling unwell and need to leave the house to seek medical attention.

Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said Singaporeans should not support such profiteers, and should be more judicious about their use of masks, pointing out that people should only use masks when they are feeling unwell and need to leave the house to seek medical attention.

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SINGAPORE — Singaporeans should never succumb to short-term fears and behaviours such as panic buying and hoarding of masks, as these will "destroy the entire system" that the Government has built to counter infectious diseases, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said on Thursday (Jan 30).

Speaking to reporters at a briefing on the ongoing Wuhan situation, he said: “Such behaviours are not appropriate. They are selfish and they are not helpful for collective defence.

“Collective defence is our strongest defence. We must all act in unison, act together and not jeopardise the system by doing things that we think might benefit ourselves, protect ourselves, but to the detriment to everyone else in the society.”

The warning came after the Government released 5 million masks from the national stockpile to retailers in the past nine days, only to see them snapped up within hours of their release.

Some sellers have also tried to profit from the surge in demand. Authorities have, for instance, issued warning letters to Deen Express, a shop at 313 Somerset, which was said to be selling masks at S$68 or S$88 for a box of 20 N95 masks.

Sellers on online marketplaces Carousell and Qoo10 have also been spotted selling masks at about up to 20 times their usual retail price.

Mr Chan said Singaporeans should not support such profiteers, and should be more judicious about their use of masks, pointing out that people should only use masks when they are feeling unwell and need to leave the house to seek medical attention.

“If we do this systematically, calmly, pace ourselves, we will be able to manage our stockpile, manage the usage rate and the uncertainties,” he said.

His comments came as the Government announced it would distribute masks to all households in Singapore from Feb 1.

HOW THE GOVT MANAGES MASK STOCKPILE

The Government’s management of Singapore’s national stockpile of masks is based on three factors, said Mr Chan.

They are: How much Singapore currently has in its stockpile, how fast Singaporeans are using up the stockpile, and how many or how frequently masks can be resupplied.

But the usage rate in the past one week had greatly surpassed what would be reasonably expected, upsetting the equation, he said.

“We understand that when people are fearful, there’s a tendency to panic buy or hoard. But this is not very useful to the entire system,” he said.

“If we do not manage the private usage rate and prioritise the allocation, we will deprive our essential services, especially the healthcare services, of the masks, and this will in turn jeopardise our entire healthcare system, not allowing us to take care of those who need it the most.”

At the same briefing, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said that Singapore’s current rate of consumption of masks is “not sustainable”, especially with a global shortage of masks and likely export bans that other countries might implement, as the Wuhan situation unfolds and face their own mask supply shortages.

Pointing out that this is a “global contingency” with no signs of abating at this point, Mr Chan said Singapore cannot assume that supply lines will remain unconstrained and unaffected by “the competition of others who are taking action to secure their own supply lines”.

He cited recent news of mask producers prioritising China, the epicentre of the virus, and Taiwan banning the export of surgical masks.

He added that there are other uses of face masks now, including in Australia where a bushfire crisis continues to brew.

“Prepare for the long haul, but never, never succumb to the short-term fears and panic buying and hoarding behaviours, because these will destroy the entire system that we have,” said Mr Chan.

Mr Wong said: “Remember: At the end of the day, masks do not confer automatic protection against the virus… The best thing that every Singaporean can do to protect himself, herself and their family members is to uphold good personal hygiene.”

He added: “Wash your hands regularly with soap. Don’t touch your face with your hands, because when your hands are dirty and you touch your face without realising it – the mucous membranes, your eyes, your nose, your mouth, that is how viruses spread.”

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