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At a technical briefing on Jan. 30, the government said they will be inspecting and questioning scalpers who sell masks at higher prices during this period.

The government added that they will investigate the matter under the Price Control Act if they sense any wrongdoing.

While many retail outlets are running on tight supply in the sale of masks, face masks are however listed at exorbitant prices at online platforms such as Carousell sparking public outrage.

Both surgical masks and N95 masks were sold at a few times more than their original retail prices.

In response, vice-president of operations at Carousell, Tan Su Lin, said that they have reached out directly to their sellers to advise them to price their masks reasonably.

Listings with unreasonable pricing will be asked to observe corrective action or may be taken down, Tan added.

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The government also expressed concerns with the current rate of consumption of masks in Singapore, saying that it is not sustainable and Singapore has to be prepared for the long haul in battling against coronavirus.

Besides taking action against scalpers, the government has also released 5.2 million masks to 1.3 million households in Singapore starting from Feb. 1.

Each household will receive four masks and are urged not to use the masks immediately.

The masks should be sufficient for all families as they should only be used when one is sick.

Top photo by Jane Zhang and screenshot of Carousell