While some are taking advantage of the coronavirus epidemic to speculate and thefts are starting to take place, the government will regulate the prices of hydrooalcoholic gels and limit the sale of masks to individuals on prescription.
“I am announcing that today we will adopt the decree to regulate the prices of hydroalcoholic gels.” While some businesses are taking advantage of the coronavirus epidemic to skyrocket the prices of hydroalcoholic gels, the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, announced measures this Wednesday March 4 on BFM Business. “There are isolated cases where unacceptable prices have been observed”, did he declare. At the same time, a decree on the requisition of protective masks for the benefit of health personnel and the sick was published in the Official newspaper.
Regarding hydroalcoholic gels, Bruno Le Maire had already indicated after a meeting in Bercy dedicated to the management of the Covid19 epidemic that the government would not accept “the slightest speculation about the coronavirus epidemic”. The General Directorate for the Prevention of Fraud (DGCCRF) will also investigate the sharp increases in the selling prices of hydroalcoholic gels and protective masks in certain shops.
In addition to the question of prices, there is also that of a potential shortage. “There is a lack of product availability”, recognized Bruno Le Maire this Wednesday, recalling that, when possible, “washing hands with soap is just as effective”.
A prescription now necessary for the purchase of masks in pharmacies
The government has also made provision for masks. “In view of the nature of the health situation and in order to ensure priority access to health professionals and patients in the context of the fight against the Covid-19 virus, are requisitioned, until May 31, 2020: stocks FFP2 type respiratory protection masks held by any legal person under public or private law; the stocks of anti-projection masks held by the companies which manufacture or distribute them, the FFP2 type respiratory protection masks and the anti-projection masks produced between the publication of this decree and May 31, 2020 are requisitioned, at the same purposes, up to this date”is it written in a decree published in the Official newspaper this Wednesday.
If you are an individual, you can only buy a mask in a pharmacy on prescription. “We cannot buy them since we have given instructions to pharmacies so that they only distribute masks on medical prescription or only to health professionals.government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye said on France Inter this Wednesday.
Recently, the Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) also noted the theft of at least 1,200 bottles of hydroalcoholic solutions and 8,300 masks. Some 2,000 surgical masks also disappeared from the Conception hospital in Marseille.
In Australia, toilet paper rations
The fear of shortage does not only concern medical products but also those of basic necessity. In order to ensure that essential consumer goods can continue to be accessible in shops, Bruno Le Maire declared that he would bring together the players in the large retail sector very soon.
Of course, France is not the only country exposed to this kind of problem. In the United Kingdom, for fear of speculation, the Boots pharmacy chain announced on Tuesday that it would limit purchases of hand sanitizer gel. In Australia, after being out of stock due to over-planning consumers, the main supermarket chain decided to ration its sales of toilet paper.
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