Face masks and other hygiene products are flying off the shelves as people anxious about the new-flu epidemic rush to stock up ahead of the main influenza season of autumn through winter. The buying spree, which was triggered by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry's declaration Friday that the new flu had reached the epidemic stage, has forced some manufacturers to increase production.
A similar spike in sales was reported in May after the nation's first new-flu case was confirmed.
On Thursday, the day after Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yoichi Masuzoe announced a de facto "epidemic declaration," retail store chain Ito-Yokado ordered its stores to limit sales of masks to two packets per customer. According to an Ito-Yokado public relations official, sales of masks are five to six times higher than usual years, although they have not skyrocketed quite as much as they did in May.
Zenkoku Masuku Kogyo-kai, a nationwide association of mask manufacturers, has been producing 300 million masks a month--double the pace of usual years--since May to cope with the surge in demand.
In close consultation with the ministry, the association had hoped to use the period through the end of August to stockpile masks ahead of the expected autumn start of the influenza season.
"We never expected that the epidemic would break out in summer," an association spokesman said. "We hope consumers will stay calm and not rush out and buy up masks."
Secom Trust Systems Co., a company that deals with antiflu products for corporate clients, said the influx of orders it received in May were mostly for masks, but that it had seen an uptick in requests for brochures on antiseptic solutions and protective clothing since Masuzoe's announcement Wednesday.
"It seems our customers believe that masks won't be enough to cope with the full-scale epidemic," a Secom Trust Systems official said.
Samore Inc., a company that produces and sells antiseptic solution, has been swamped with five times more orders than usual since Wednesday. In particular, online orders from individuals have been pouring into the company. An official of the Chuo Ward, Tokyo-based company said they had received calls from customers willing to pick up their products from the factory.
The company has extended the factory's operating hours but demand has outstripped production capacity, according to an official.
No comments:
Post a Comment