STAFF REPORTER
As the novel corona virus tightens its grip all across the world including Pakistan, street hawkers were witnessed selling face masks made up of cloth and plastic-coated bags alongside the roads on cheap prices in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi due to its increasing demand. According to a private news channel, these sellers in small markets and alongside roads are doing brisk business these days with offering variety of protective face masks to their passerby customers so to save them from the effects of corona pandemic. According to Commuters, roadside vendors are selling out cheap face masks as compared to the ones available on super stores in response to rising demand for protection against the deadly corona virus. Roadside kiosks are happy with the rising demand as they are doing brisk business, said a vendor while talking to this scribe. “When we are on the road and see the face mask vendors, we stop there and buy it,” said a office worker while purchasing cloth mask for his child. All the employees working in offices have been ordered to follow strict measures and wear face masks and gloves, said another shopper of the mask. Surgical masks were mostly not available at majority of medical stores so we prefer to buy these cloth masks which is affordable and easy to carry specially for our kids, said another family. Amid the corona virus fear, the use of masks increased and traders started selling masks at a higher rate but roadside vendors providing an opportunity to motorists with cheap rate face masks to protect themselves from the disease, said a citizen. A vendor said due to this corona situation we got opportunity to sale these hand-made and machine-made masks at cheap rate on roadsides to facilitate the citizens adding he said one face-mask is available at the rate of Rs 50 which is less than its original price, said a commuter Ali Usman
