Coronavirus: why China is in the grips of a facial mask shortage as death toll grows
- China is currently capable of producing 20 million masks per day, but it is experiencing a severe shortage caused by the coronavirus
- Beijing has halted exports of raw materials and equipment used to make masks, and ramped up oversight of supply
China is experiencing a severe shortage of facial masks used to contain the spread of coronavirus, as surging demand has emptied shelves across the country and led to shortages from Tokyo to Toronto.
While the supply gap has been muddied by rampant panic buying, reports of government rationing, soaring prices and hospitals appealing for donations have highlighted a worrying shortage amid an outbreak that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared a global health emergency.
The disease, which has killed at least 560 people and infected more than 27,000 in China, is spread primarily through droplets from coughs and sneezes and contact with infected surfaces, though researchers say it could also be transmitted through faeces.
In Shanghai, mask sales jumped from roughly 10,000 per day to 3 million during the Lunar New Year holiday, according to government media in the city.
