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Stockpile masks at home in case of emergency, China urges families
- Economic planner says protective equipment should be part of the domestic first aid kit
- NPC deputy calls for changes to strategic reserves legislation to cover essential medical gear
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Families in China should have medical supplies, including masks, on hand at home, a senior economic official has suggested, after the coronavirus pandemic exposed the country’s limited reserves.
Ning Jizhe, vice-chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, China’s top economic planning agency, said every family should have a first aid kit, with protective equipment, in case of emergency.
“China has more than 400 million households. Everyone must get into the habit of having reserves and rescuing themselves,” Ning said on the sidelines of the National People’s Congress on Sunday.
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China is the world’s biggest producer of medical face masks but had a chronic shortage three months ago at the height of the coronavirus epidemic, prompting widespread criticism of the country’s poor emergency response management, especially in strategic material reserves.
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Western and Asian habits still differ, but the coronavirus pandemic is normalising mask-wearing
Western and Asian habits still differ, but the coronavirus pandemic is normalising mask-wearing
The issue is on the agenda of this year’s “two sessions”, the annual gathering of the political elite, with NPC deputy Xiao Shengfang calling for a law to regulate and standardise reserves of national strategic materials.
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Xiao, president of the Guangdong Lawyers Association said the legislation was needed to prevent similar mask shortages from recurring, Caixin magazine reported on Thursday.
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