CDC says you don’t yet need a face mask. But they’re flying off the shelves here anyway
The worldwide coronavirus outbreak is on its way to infecting its 20,000th patient, according to the World Health Organization.
And as the epidemic continues to unfold, it has prompted many anxious consumers to purchase face masks. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the masks are not currently needed in the U.S. to prevent the virus’ spread, and that the best way to prevent catching it or any other pathogen remains basic hygiene.
But that has not stopped an increasingly galloping run on masks in the U.S., South Florida included.
Although there have been no reported cases of coronavirus in the Sunshine State, on Tuesday, CVS locations at 10701 NW 41st St. in Doral; 12650 SW 88th St. in the Shops at Kendall; 1201 Brickell Ave.; and 306 Lincoln Road in Miami Beach all reported they were out of the surgical-grade masks they normally stock.
In a statement, Rhode Island-based CVS said it was, “Working with our suppliers to meet customer demand for face masks.”
“This demand may cause shortages at some store locations, and we’ll resupply those stores as quickly as possible,” it added.
Meanwhile, Walgreens locations at 4049 Pine Tree Dr. in Miami Beach and 13680 SW 88th St. in Kendall also reported outages; the Kendall store said a shipment expected Saturday did not arrive. Chicago-based Walgreens did not respond to requests for comment.
The two drugstore chains did not respond to questions about whether their mask suppliers are foreign or domestic. According to Wired Magazine, 95% of supplies are manufactured outside of the U.S.
Bloomberg reports other retailers including Lowe’s and Staples have also run out of the N95 air filtration mask, which is recommended by the CDC for blocking airborne viruses.
On Tuesday, it still appeared possible to order a 3M-made N95 mask on Amazon.com.
Local face mask suppliers say they are working to ensure area hospitals and medical institutions remain stocked, as China-based manufacturers reported being drained of supplies. A spokeswoman for Jackson Memorial Hospital said the institution is “prepared” to handle any cases of the virus and that it currently has a sufficient number of face masks for its staff. A spokeswoman for Broward Health said it uses a U.S. distributor and has had no problems.
Travelers may now spot individuals wearing masks at airports. There are no direct flights from the Miami area to China. And on Feb. 2, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said all flights from China are being rerouted to 11 designated U.S. airports; neither Miami International Airport nor Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is among them.
But MIA is taking extra precautions to screen travelers who may have originated from China.
“If any arriving flights at MIA still happen to include a passenger who has traveled to China within the last 14 days, Customs and Border Protection will notify the CDC that the passenger requires additional screening by the CDC quarantine station at MIA for the [coronavirus],” it said in a statement.
Carli Teproff contributed to this report.
This story was originally published February 4, 2020 at 1:07 PM.
