Coronavirus scare: Chemist shops in Delhi witness surge in demand for masks, sanitisers

As the Coronavirus scare increases rapidly in India with 28 confirmed cases reported so far, chemist shops near the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) in Delhi have witnessed a rise in the demand for masks and sanitizers in the recent days.

The chemists fear a shortage in stock of the said items in a few days as the demand surges after the government issued health advisory against the deadly virus. 

"We have sanitisers and masks currently in ample stock, but their demand has been rising in the past few days so a shortage may arise in the coming days.

Sanitisers, especially, are being demanded more since the advisory was issued. Currently, though we have ample stock to meet the demand," Vishwajit, a chemist told ANI.

As patients from Agra have arrived in Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital for treatment of coronavirus, the people have become more cautious and aware, resulting in the rise in demand for masks. The chemists have also been advised to wear the mask at the shops amid Coronavirus outbreak.

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Coronavirus confirmed cases rise to 30

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday said 30 positive cases of coronavirus have been detected so far in India and announced that all international flights and passengers will now have to undergo screening, and not just the 12 countries listed earlier.

In view of Coronavirus scare and the first positive case reported from Delhi, Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Tuesday informed that Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) and Safdarjung hospitals are made nodal offices to tackle with a possible outbreak.

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Giving a breakup of those who tested positive for the virus, Harsh Vardhan said out of the total 28 COVID-19 cases in India, one person was from Delhi, six of his relatives in Agra, 16 Italians and their Indian driver, one in Telangana and the three earlier cases in Kerala.

He also said that so far, 5,89,000 people have been screened at airports, over 10 lakh screened at borders with Nepal and around 27,000 were currently under community surveillance.

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