Washington-area hardware stores are running out of face masks amid fears of the coronavirus.
Ace Hardware, which boasts eight locations in the metro area, confirmed that it has completely sold out of face masks, and Lowe’s confirmed it has seen a “huge spike in sales.”
“We maxed out our order so that we can be able to provide [to] the community,” said a representative at Ace Hardware. “People are buying five packs at a time.”
The Trump administration declared the virus a public emergency today, and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar outlined protective measures for U.S. citizens that will go into effect on Sunday.
“We’ve seen a huge spike in sales, and masks are almost sold out,” said a Lowe’s representative.
The coronavirus has killed more than 200 and infected over 9,700 people since its discovery in Wuhan, China, last month — although some analysts have suggested the number could be 10 times higher. Initial reports suggested the virus came from consuming bat soup or snake tartare, but Sen. Tom Cotton noted that China’s only super laboratory capable of researching deadly pathogens is located in Wuhan.
“We sold out completely today,” said a representative at Logan Hardware. “They bought all the N95 masks that we had.” N95 refers to N95 particulate respirator, which is the face mask suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help fight against spreading the infectious disease.
Videos have circulated on Twitter showing Chinese doctors in Hazmat suits treating patients suspected to be carrying the disease.
“We only have seven single packs of the extra-large left in the N95. That’s all we have left in stock,” said a customer representative at local hardware store True Value. Home Depot confirmed it still has masks in stock but that it was running out, saying the store was “selling them quite more than we usually do.”
