The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Shortages of hand sanitisers and surgical face masks are expected to occur within weeks, Bahamian retailers and wholesale distributors have warned, due to the spreading coronavirus outbreak.

Hillary Hall, Ports International’s chief executive, told Tribune Business: “Our masks have been our number one to go, hand sanitisers as well. Fortunately we have another order of sanitisers shipping very soon; we are looking forward to receiving that within the next couple of weeks. Gloves have also been selling very well; we have more gloves to offer, the key has been the masks.”

Expecting the masks shortage to last for “several weeks”, Ms Hall added: “We do anticipate some delays in replenishing the masks. Most of these masks are made in China. Factories were closed for a period, and they are now in a process of re-opening, but it is going delay shipments of products coming back to this part of the world so, yeah, we do anticipate some delays.”

William Cash, general manager of Lowe’s Wholesale Drug Agency, added: “We are running out of the hand sanitizers and some of those types of products, and we expect that we will have some shortages for some while.”

Mr Cash said he is trying to determine how his suppliers are allocating their exports, given the likely shortage of certain supplies, and added: “Most of the time exports are slower than what they take to satisfy their own market, so I am expecting some delays for two to three months.”

Rupert Roberts, the Super Value supermarket chain’s principal, said the only item his business has been running out of is hand sanitiser. Cleaning supplies “are good”, though, because the chain has always stocked up on those.

Mr Roberts added: “So it’s only sanitisers that we’ve sold out of, but we even have some coming in. There are certain items they are no longer going to export because they don’t have enough for the United States.”

He revealed that one of his suppliers in Pompano Beach, Florida, advised Super Value that several issues will be “unavailable” due to an unexpected increase in demand in the US. Among the products affected are lysol antibacterial wipes, disinfectant sprays, laundry sanitiser and disinfectant wipes.