Medical suppliers in Vernon are struggling to keep masks and sanitation products on the shelves amid growing coronavirus concerns.

Several stores said masks were sold out in February and suppliers are struggling to keep up with the demand.

Surge Medsa国际传媒檚 customer service administrator Tracy Dufresne said customers in Vernon are signing up for a waitlist for when the store eventually replenishes its supply.

Customer service representative Britni Horncastle, with Vernonsa国际传媒檚 Southward Medical Supply, said their store has been sold out of masks and hand sanitizer for nearly one month.

sa国际传媒淭here is so much fearmongering going on in the news,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒�(Coronavirus) can be a scary thing, but so is the regular flu.sa国际传媒�

Horncastle said most of her clientele seeking masks are individuals with a pre-existing condition or those about to embark on travels.

sa国际传媒�(Masks) are better than nothing,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淏ut itsa国际传媒檚 like any cold, you can get it anywhere.sa国际传媒�

Dufresne echoed the sentiments and said Surge Med hasnsa国际传媒檛 seen the demand for masks and hand sanitizers this high before.

sa国际传媒淲hen H1N1 was happening, there was a bit of a kerfuffle,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淏ut this one is a little bigger. Yousa国际传媒檙e hearing more about it and reading more about it.sa国际传媒�

There are sa国际传媒渘o masks to be hadsa国际传媒� at Nightingale Medical Supplies either, customer service representative Myra Bird said Friday, March 6.

sa国际传媒淥ur suppliers are out,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e trying to stock up because we need them in our area sa国际传媒� masks have been out for a long time.sa国际传媒�

Bird said shesa国际传媒檚 never seen anything like this before.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 an epidemic, let me tell you,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淢asks have been a big issue right from the get-go as soon as this all broke out.sa国际传媒�

She said she believes the fear is stemming from the fact there is no known vaccination for the novel coronavirus, which is now referred to as COVID-19.

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sa国际传媒淥ur nurses donsa国际传媒檛 seem to be so concerned about the virus,sa国际传媒� Bird said. sa国际传媒淪ome nurses feel itsa国际传媒檚 been blown way out of proportion.sa国际传媒�

Globally, COVID-19 has killed 3.4 per cent of reported patients as of March 3, according to the .

The provincial government announced March 6 that it is activating a pandemic plan to deal with novel coronavirus.

Health Minister Adrian Dix said the province is ready to use emergency powers to protect the population, health workers and the health systemsa国际传媒檚 capacity to help patients with other problems.

Dix says the B.C. government is also preparing for how it will function if large numbers of public employees get sick.

The plan is to be ready to operate under an outbreak that lasts up to four months.

Premier John Horgan said a committee of deputy ministers will oversee B.C.sa国际传媒檚 COVID-19 response, and the province now has four labs that can test for the virus.

There are 34 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Canada with 21 cases in British Columbia sa国际传媒� one of which is believed to have been contracted through community contact.

To protect patrons and employees alike, coffee giants Starbucks and Tim Hortons have temporarily stopped accepting reusable cups amid the growing COVID-19 concerns. Schools in the North Okanagan have also postponed spring break travel plans to Europe to protect its students.

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Caitlin.clow@vernonmorningstar.com
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