It should be done without blind stockpiling and then optimize the allocation of resources.
Masks have become a hard currency almost since the new virus epidemic. Shortages of masks and protective equipment are no longer news to frontline medical staff, and ordinary people find it hard to buy masks. Chen Zhijiang, deputy director of the Price Supervision and Competition Bureau of the State Market Supervision Administration (SMSA), answered the question of rising mask prices: 45 percent of the recent 12315 platform reports were related to rising mask prices. Data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) shows that China's production capacity of masks exceeds 20 million pieces per day. However, this capacity has not yet recovered due to the Chinese New Year holiday. In fact, many medical supply companies have voluntarily given up their Spring Festival vacations. China's top-ranked medical dressing exporter is Health Medical Group. Information on its official website shows that from December 20, 2019 to January 26, 2020, the company ****supplied 108.9 million masks.
While the existing production line is in full operation, the new production line is being rapidly completed. As the company fires up, the supply shortage of masks is gradually easing. Meanwhile, the cross-border production team has become a new force in mask production. Shanghai GM, BYD, GAC, the three armies, Sinopec and various manufacturers of footwear, labor insurance and diapers are also being ? crossing the border? Emergency mask production. Companies such as Tencent, Alibaba and Jingdong also buy and sell masks through various channels. With more production lines coming on stream, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) figures show that as of Feb. 3, 14.8 million masks had been produced in 22 key provinces across the country. As of Feb. 9, the recovery rate of mask companies had exceeded 76 percent. If the scale of cross-border production capacity is added, the country's daily output of masks should be even higher, and I am confident that the shortage of masks will soon be solved.
The deputy director of national development said he would do his best to increase production and capacity. Organize the resumption of production by enterprises, first of all, full production, fully understand the number of mask manufacturers, the first time to organize the resumption of production by trusted enterprises. Personal protective equipment (e.g., masks) is in short supply, and WHO calls for blind hoarding. WHO has indicated that it is not in favour of accumulating PPE such as masks in countries and regions with low infection rates, and has called on governments and enterprises*** to work together to optimize the allocation of resources and to ensure that priority is given to the supply of key personnel, such as healthcare workers. First and foremost, the enterprises concerned should make every effort to restore and build new production capacity in order to ensure front-line supply. At the same time, government departments at all levels must coordinate all kinds of resources, provide policy support and grasp production output to ensure that enterprises can rapidly increase their production capacity to meet market demand. Secondly, market supervision, healthcare, industry and information technology departments must also rationalize the allocation of existing mask resources and rely on frontline medical personnel to ensure that those in need receive adequate protective gear. In addition, publicity departments, news media and self-media platforms must also step up their publicity efforts to inform the public of the correct selection and use of masks, in order to avoid wasting resources and unreasonable emergency purchases.