Armed robbers stole more than HK$1,000 worth of toilet paper from outside a Hong Kong supermarket on Monday morning, as panic over the spread of the coronavirus showed little signs of easing.
Three masked men stole 600 rolls in about 50 packets from a delivery man outside a Wellcome store in Mong Kok, around 6am on Monday. Police said one of the men was armed with a knife.
The incident followed weeks of panic buying at supermarkets across the city after online rumours sparked fears of a shortage of essential goods, caused by the outbreak of the virus, which originated in mainland China.
About 600 rolls of toilet paper were stolen from outside a supermarket in Mong Kok on Monday morning. Photo: Now TV
On Sunday, Gilly Wong Fung-han, the Consumer Council’s CEO, appealed to the public not to stockpile toilet rolls, as the humid climate made them susceptible to mould.
She added that major suppliers had already said there would be sufficient stock, but a shortage of masks, and the spread of the virus, which causes the Covid-19 disease, has further fuelled public fears.
A picture circulated online showed stacks of toilet paper in a flat in Hong Kong. Photo: Facebook
Hong Kong recorded its 57th confirmed case of infection on Sunday, and there has been one death. Globally, more than 70,000 people have fallen ill, and almost 1,800 have died.
Found this article interesting? Share it with your friends! 👍🏼
This article first appeared on SCMP.
Enjoyed the article? We are a team of volunteers who want to provide relevant and factual information. We appreciate any amount of donation to keep the inspiring stories from our team coming! 🙏
No comments:
Post a Comment