DTI: 2 million face masks will be available in a month

At least two million face masks will be made available to health workers and the public within a month amid the confirmation of 2019 novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (nCoV ARD) cases in the country, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said Tuesday.

Lopez made the announcement during the public hearing on the government response on the nCoV before the Senate Committee on Health, saying that the supply will be sourced from a seasoned supplier in Bataan which has already been in such business in the Philippines for the last 41 years.

“They committed to supply 100,000 masks to be delivered today, to give to DOH (Department of Health) because they are the ones in the frontline. The supplier committed to as much as 400,000 pieces per week, and that is what we will add on the local supply because even the private sector is having a hard time sourcing stocks,” Lopez said.

“In a month, they were able to commit one million pieces [of face masks] for the public and one million for the DOH requirement. This [pace] will go on as long as we need these stocks,” Lopez added.

In an interview earlier in the day with Dobol B sa News TV, Lopez did not specify the name of the local manufacturer but said its owner offered to sell the face masks at P8 each — lower than the current cost of P25 to P50 per piece.

Lopez also warned those who will sell overpriced face masks amid the high demand, which he said can be considered as panic buying.

“The penalty will be P300,000 per store,” Lopez said.

Lopez, however, conceded that the lack of supply, rather than overpricing, is the pressing issue.

“The problem is less on the price, but more on supply of stock. There has been really a surge in demand, and drugstores do not maintain high inventory on face masks,” Lopez said.

“Hirap rin sila kumuha sa other countries kasi kailangan rin ng masks sa other countries, and so foreign suppliers cannot supply our desired quantity,” Lopez added.

Last week, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that the government will only give face masks if there is a supply.

As of February 4, there are at least two confirmed cases of nCoV in the country.

The first case of nCoV was a 38-year-old Chinese female, while the second confirmed nCoV case—a 44-year-old Chinese male—was pronounced dead by authorities on Sunday. The said announcement was made a day after the patient died on Saturday, and no confirmation was previously given that he was infected with nCoV.

DOH Undersecretary Eric Domingo explained on Monday that the first case's specimens were more indicative of nCov thus it had to be prioritized for confirmation in Australia.

The death of the 44-year-old Chinese male while confined at the San Lazaro Hospital was the first nCoV death outside China.

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered a travel ban on individuals coming from Hubei, China and all of China and its special administrative regions last January 31 and February 2, respectively. Chinese authorities, on the other hand, banned travelers to and from Wuhan, the epicenter of nCoV ARD, on January 23.

The nCoV death toll in China has reached 425 as of February 4. —KG, GMA News