Prognosis
For New York, 58-Cent Medical Masks Now Priced at $7.50 Each
- Black market blooms for essential items with virus spreading
- Hospitals, states and even the feds compete against each other
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The rapid spread of coronavirus is making New York desperate for medical supplies. Vendors are taking advantage.
Face masks for front-line staff, normally about 58 cents each, have been quoted by sellers at $7.50, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office. Thermometers are going for twice their usual price, latex gloves triple. Portable X-ray machines that help diagnose the virus cost as much as 20 times what they were selling for before the emergency.
“Price gouging is a tremendous problem, and it’s only getting worse,” Cuomo told a Monday press briefing.