Hong Kong citizens queue for facial masks in frigid temperatures

People wait outside retail stores and pharmacies, discontent with government incompetence

People queue for facial masks outside Watsons in Hong Kong. People queue for facial masks outside Watsons in Hong Kong. (CNA photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — People in Hong Kong are desperate for facial masks amid fears of a worsening novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak in the city.

With the confirmed number of 2019-nCoV cases in Hong Kong reaching 12, the Hong Kong government is taking significant measures, such as prolonging the Lunar New Year vacation for all students under high school age to Feb. 16. Nevertheless, as many citizens are unable to buy facial masks, fear and outrage in the city continue to mount.

Hundreds of people have been lining up in front of retailers like Watsons and Bonjour in the hope of obtaining one of limited numbers of facial masks; many leave empty-handed. "I have been waiting here since 5:30 AM, but the masks were sold out in a split second," a woman complained in an interview with the BBC.

Frontline medical workers in the city will strike on Monday (Feb. 3) in an effort to urge the government to make facial masks mandatory for all citizens—and also to ban visitors from China. Many of these workers are concerned that existing medical facilities will prove incapable of keeping up with the spread of the disease, especially with a continued stream of traffic from across the border.

Across the water, the Macau authorities have impressed Hongkongers this time around by storing enough masks before the Lunar New Year. Officials even applied a unified price and registration system to prevent mask hoarding in Macau, Hong Konger Allan Au (區家麟) said in his blog post.

"The ministers in Hong Kong could not even provide an accurate figure for the stock of facial masks remaining in the city," Au said.

As of Jan. 30, Hong Kong has partially halted traffic from China, including suspending the issuance of travel visas to Chinese citizens. It will also be cutting back on the number of flights and high-speed trains to its northern neighbor.