With the Wuhan virus spreading quite fast in which Singapore already has a seventh case, it’s pretty normal that most Singaporeans would want to protect themselves by buying surgical masks.
So off we went running to all the retail stores like Watsons, Guardian, and Unity Pharmacy to get our hands on boxes of surgical masks so that our family members can be protected too.
However, all we were met with were stores telling us that they no longer had stock, and even if they had stock, you had to queue for quite long before you could make a purchase. Not to mention the limits imposed as to how many masks you could buy at one time.
Of course, while there are those who are genuinely trying to help others by selling to others what they don’t need for a reasonable price, others are taking advantage of the demand during this critical period and increasing the prices of surgical masks.
Yep, that’s $1,000 for 10 pieces of surgical masks. I think this mask is made of gold.
But it seems that not only are people selling overpriced masks on the internet, a minimart in Tampines was also spotted upscaling the price of their masks, albeit not so drastically.
$1.60 For 1 Mask
According to a photo taken and posted onto Hardwarezone forum by user marcus1, a Tampines minimart is selling their masks for $1.60 each.
This is a stretch considering the fact that 10 pieces are being sold for $2.50 at Watsons, which means that one piece should only cost you $0.25.
Someone also pointed out in the comments section that the masks that the minimart was selling weren’t even the recommended surgical masks, but rather, just normal paper masks that don’t give you the required protection against the coronavirus.
While many are quick to condemn the minimart and say that they will be getting their karma for exploiting the situation, others tried to understand and explain why the minimart may have increased the prices for the masks.
They explained that perhaps the price increase was necessary to stop people from buying unnecessarily and preventing those who really need from getting their hands on the masks because there are no more stocks left.
The Senior Minister of State for Health Lam Pin Min also said in a statement that “the supply of masks in Singapore is sufficient if they are used sensibly and responsibly.”
So what do you think? Do you think the minimart was being too much for increasing the price for what seems like a normal paper mask?
Or do you agree with the alleged reason for their price increase?
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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