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Valley stores out of mask as COVID-19 coronavirus continues to spread around the world
Amidst a global spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, masks are becoming a hot item for many. However, it's hard to come by in the Valley.
PHOENIX - Amidst a global spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, CDC officials say there will be more cases of the illness in the United States. Officials also say local authorities and all American families need to prepare.
Amidst ongoing concerns over COVID-19, masks are now a hot commodity. However, not all of them work, and they are also hard to come by.
For those looking to get an N95 mask in the Valley, good luck. The manager of a hardware store along Indian School Road in Phoenix says the store is completely out of them.
"We just sold 207 of them [on Wednesday]. That was everything we had," said Wayne Brown.
Brown has been asked about it constantly.
"One of the orders that I placed has been put back twice," said Brown. "I was supposed to receive them two weeks ago. Then March. Now, we’re looking at April."
Brown says there is a shipment coming in two weeks, but they had to order from an outside vendor because the main distributor’s orders are tied up internationally.
"They’re going to China," said Brown. "They’ve got them all allotted."
Other masks have been selling as well, but experts are recommending the N95. Not everyone is buying into it, however.
“Try to wash your hands, ya know?" said one man. "You touch a lot of stuff throughout the day. That’s one of the main things that cause diseases to be transmitted."
"Well, I have mixed feelings," said Brown. "I think it’s blown out of proportion a little bit, but I can understand people’s fears. If the customers feel like they need to have them, we’d sure like to be able to sell to them.”