Toilet paper is the hot new currency in Singapore and Hong Kong


Scared shopping: People hoarding toilet paper rolls at a supermarket in Hong Kong.

SINGAPORE: In the high-stakes world of gift giving in Asia’s financial hubs, Montblanc pens and leather folios are out - toilet paper and surgical masks are most definitely in.

As fears of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) spread across the region, pharmacies and supermarkets in Hong Kong and Singapore are running out of basic supplies like toilet paper, paper towels, hand sanitizer and especially masks.

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