Uphill battle for face mask suppliers


PETALING JAYA: As the novel coronavirus outbreak grips the world in a state of anxiety and people “panic buy” face masks for protection, suppliers say soaring demand for the protective gear cannot be met.

This comes following a statement from Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to manufacturers to ramp up production and despite advice from medical experts that masks were not necessary for now since there was no human-to-human transmission.

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