Prognosis
While Hong Kong Waits in Line, Singapore Distributes 5 Million Masks
- Thousands line up to buy masks in Hong Kong amid shortages
- Singapore taps its army to help distribute 5 million masks
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With no sign the coronavirus outbreak will be under control any time soon, surgical masks -- the three-ply, pleated rectangles that typically sell for a few cents each -- have become a political flash point across Asia.
In Singapore, where an election is expected soon, the government touted its move to deploy some 1,500 servicemen to help distribute 5 million masks, accompanied by a bilingual, cross-platform public health campaign.