Two passengers donning face masks and protective clothing walk in the arrival hall of the Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong, March 18, 2020. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG – Hong Kong continues to face a shortage of face masks as global demand surged with the increasing number of infections worldwide, Hong Kong’s health chief said on Wednesday.

Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee told legislators that the government had been forced to cancel some of its mask procurement orders as some countries abruptly imposed a mask embargo to ensure local demands are met first.

READ MORE: Drastic measures needed to address face-mask shortage

Government departments have been cutting down their use of face masks to help ensure a sufficient supply for frontline officers at quarantine facilities and checkpoints

According to Chan, more than 10 million masks from 600 suppliers across 30 countries have been shipped to Hong Kong. But the government is facing increasing difficulties to secure supplies as the COVID-19 pandemic is spreading fast around the world, infecting nearly 200,000 people so far. 

Earlier, the government had proposed to spend HK$1.5 billion (US$193 million) to subsidize local mask manufacturers to boost output to meet the local demand.

The government has also been buying masks from factories run by the Correctional Services Industries for civil servants’ use. The stock of face masks reserved for the city’s 176,600 civil servants can last for about two months, Chan noted.

ALSO READ: Face masks — a chance to revive ‘Made in HK’ label?

Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury James Henry Lau said government departments were cutting down their use of face masks to help ensure a sufficient supply for frontline officers at quarantine facilities and checkpoints.