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Coronavirus: Circle K stores draw massive crowds as chain gives away 100,000 free masks to Hong Kong’s elderly
- The convenience store chain offered masks to those 65 and older at 20 locations across the city
- The face coverings disappeared quickly at most locations, with some turned away disappointed
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Thousands of elderly residents in Hong Kong queued at Circle K shops on Friday for a last-minute giveaway of surgical masks, as the city continues to deal with widespread shortages driven by fears of the deadly coronavirus.
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The convenience store chain announced in a Facebook post at noon that it would make 100,000 free masks available at 20 of its locations for residents 65 years and older after “coordinating non-stop with suppliers”.
By 1pm, more than 1,000 senior citizens were standing outside a Circle K in Shau Kei Wan, a neighbourhood on the eastern part of Hong Kong Island, as shop employees emptied boxes of face masks onto a folding table.
One man surnamed Leung sat on a stool next to the line, clutching his ID card and a voucher that entitled each holder to five masks.
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“I only have four or five masks left at home, there’s nothing to buy even if I wanted to,” the Leung, 81, said.
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