As a result of the spread of the coronavirus from China, there has been a severe deficit in the number of face masks being produced. This resulted in many people selling face masks and, more recently, hand sanitizer on Armenian social media (and social media around the world).
People are selling face masks individually and in packs. Sometimes, they give discounts or free shipping. The “ghost” of the coronavirus floats around on these posts, causing panic and discouragement among people.
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Some people are also reminding users that it is useless to wear these masks for hours at a time. The prices of these face masks differ; some people sell them for 150 AMD per mask until 500 AMD. One user sold them for 1,300 AMD per mask, which surprised a lot of people.
By the way, the prices of face masks on a popular retail site in Armenia range from 200, 350, 160, or 215 AMD per piece. One user is selling “carbon masks” and promising that these masks provide more effective protection. In one case, 10 triple-layer masks cost 3,200 AMD with 500 AMD shipping. One person is also selling “filtered masks” for 600 AMD per piece while asking individuals to “not call them without reason.” There are also people selling these filtered masks for 850 AMD per piece. One person is even selling necessary fabrics and sheets for doctors for 10,000 AMD. There are also “creative” masks on this website. The seller considers these to be trendy and is offering them for the price of 1,500 AMD per piece.
In addition, there are people sharing videos about how to make masks by hand. One person decided to not take advantage of the situation by making a profit from it and decided to share their homemade masks for free.
People on social media also have a sense of humor. Some of them are offering to exchange their car for face masks.
The chair of the State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition, Gegham Gevorgyan, told reporters that the people selling these masks are not business owners, and, therefore, their activities cannot be controlled by the commission.
Luiza Sukiasyan
“Aravot” daily
09.03.2020
