Delhi govt forms teams to crack down on hoarders of masks, sanitizers amid coronavirus pandemic

Amid a shortage of protective masks and hand sanitisers in the face of deepening coronavirus crisis, the Delhi government has constituted teams to take action against suppliers overcharging for masks and sanitizers and those hoarding these items, Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain said on Saturday.

The Minister also underlined that not all people need to wear N95 masks.

"N95 masks should only be used by healthcare workers or those who are displaying symptoms, not healthy people. We have also constituted teams to take action against hoarding and overcharging for masks and sanitizers," Satyendra Jain told ANI.

"We have already issued advisory regarding precautionary measures against coronavirus. A total of 518 isolation beds are available in 25 hospitals," he added.

Several drug stores across the city have stopped selling N95 masks due to increasing prices.

A pharmacist in Connaught Place told ANI: "We have stopped selling N95 masks as the wholesale suppliers are selling it to us at high prices. But if we ask customers to pay the increased price, they fight with us thinking that it's we who are increasing the prices."

The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in India rose to 83, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Saturday.

So far, two deaths due to the lethal infection have been reported in the country.

The coronavirus, which originated in China's Wuhan city in December last year, has so far spread to more than 100 countries, infecting over 1,20,000 people.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared coronavirus a pandemic and Europe as its epicentre with more reported cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined, apart from China.