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Aug 20, 2009, 7:32 GMT

Malaysia controls price of masks as swine flu deaths, cases soar

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia has placed price controls for face masks to prevent over-pricing by retailers due to high demand, after the country declared a health emergency following the rise in deaths and infections with swine flu, news reports said Thursday. A total of 68 people diagnosed with the H1N1 virus have died in Malaysia, which has confirmed more than 5,300 infections. The government has issued a health emergency, making it compulsory for those with flu-like symptoms to avoid public places and to wear a face mask when outside the home. On Thursday, the country recorded its biggest daily number of infections at 569 cases, health officials announced. Domestic Trade Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced Wednesday that the ceiling price for a single-ply surgical mask was 7 sen (2.12 US cents), while higher-quality masks can be sold for up to 6 ringgit (1.8 dollars) a piece. 'The government would not have intervened if the traders were ethical and not taken advantage of the situation by inflating the prices,' he was quoted as saying by the Star daily. He said several complains had come in that traders were inflating the price of masks by up to 1,000 per cent its selling price. Sellers face up to two years in prison and a fine if they exceed the price limits, the report said. Malaysia recorded its first case of swine flu in May.

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