Coronavirus: do not hoard toilet paper rolls as they can get mouldy, Hong Kong consumer watchdog urges residents amid panic buying
- Consumer Council chief says city’s suppliers have guaranteed enough stock for the surge in demand
- No 2 official also gives reassurances that rice reserves are sufficient for the population
Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog has urged residents not to hoard toilet paper rolls and assured the public that suppliers have increased stocks to meet demand, as the coronavirus outbreak continues to trigger rampant panic buying of essentials.
Consumer Council chief executive Gilly Wong Fung-han also warned that stockpiling toilet rolls would make them susceptible to mould growth.
The call came amid a buyer frenzy in recent weeks, with shoppers snapping up toilet rolls, among other necessities, at supermarkets and pharmacies, fuelled by online rumours that production in mainland China had stopped because of the Covid-19 crisis.
Wong said on a radio programme on Sunday that four to five major toilet paper suppliers in Hong Kong had told them recently that mainland factories had resumed full operations after the Lunar New Year holiday, and there would be sufficient stock in the city.
“[The suppliers] said they have ordered more to meet the higher demand and would be able to replenish stocks to provide people with diversified choices soon,” she said.
