MOSCOW: Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered the closure of pharmacies accused of hiking prices of face masks, as demand soars over fears that the deadly coronavirus could spread. Speaking at a government meeting, Putin said profiteering from the brisk sales of masks was wrong and pharmacies that engage in price gouging should be punished. “They’ve decided to rake in the cash,” he added, saying officials could make an example of some pharmacies to deter the rest. Some complained on social media that some pharmacies have sold out of surgical masks as many rush to stock up. The government has set up a telephone hotline for people to report price gouging, she said.

Source: New Strait Times February 05, 2020 15:00 UTC