BANGKOK, March 4 (TNA) — The Commerce Ministry will launch its blue-flagged vehicles to sell 100,000 medical masks to people in the country tomorrow to improve mask availability.
Deputy Prime Minister/Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said 111 vehicles of the Commerce Ministry would start to sell masks in Bangkok and other provinces on March 5. They will sell packs of four masks at 10 baht each and such a vehicle of the ministry will carry at least 10,000 masks, he said.
“People can buy a sufficient amount of masks and please do not hoard them up. The government is trying to manage the availability of masks amid their limited supplies. I would like to ask people not to hoard up masks. Otherwise, there will be shortages,” Mr Jurin said.
According to him, 11 factories are producing 36-38 million medical masks a month. People, doctors, nurses and concerned organizations including clinics must have fair shares of the masks.
The government tried to ensure the fair distribution of masks and commerce officials were supervising the distribution right at the factories, Mr Jurin said.
He also said that the government would consider subsidizing the rising prices of raw materials imported for medical mask production to guarantee enough supplies of the products in the country. (TNA)
