Hoarding hand sanitizer is now against the law. To ensure the availability of crucial health and medical resources, the government is issuing an order prohibiting the hoarding of hand sanitizer, personal protective gear, and other needed supplies as well as price gouging on any of the important supplies needed to fight the Coronavirus outbreak.
Hand sanitizer, along with soap and water, is a crucial weapon in the war against Coronavirus. Experts say that hand washing, hand sanitizer, and avoiding touching your face are the most important steps in preventing catching the virus.
People are forbidden from stockpiling items beyond what an ordinary family or business would need for personal use and from selling those items for an unreasonable profit.
Attorney General Bill Bar said he would designate a lead prosecutor in each State’s Attorney’s Office to pursue cases against those who hoard hand sanitizer and other supplies. He stressed that he was not targeting consumers or businesses building a stockpile for reasonable use. “If you have a big supply of toilet paper at home, you don’t have to worry. But if you are sitting on a large supply of surgical masks, you’ll be hearing a knock at your door.”
The White House also announced a new self-collected Coronavirus test that will be available to the public soon. With the new test, people will be able to swab just the inside of their nasal passages. Previously, the test required inserting a swab deeply into the nasal passage to collect the sample. With the new test, patients should be able to collect their own samples which will reduce the need for healthcare workers to wear personal protective gear.
Vice President Mike Pence said that companies like 3M and Facebook had made large donations of personal protective gear to help in the time of crisis. The country is now eight days into the “15 Days to Slow the Spread” campaign, designed to control the spread of the Coronavirus in the U.S.
The lack of availability of hand sanitizer due to hoarding has been a problem for many Americans.
