ST. LOUIS — Since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started warning about the possibility of a coronavirus pandemic, prices for protective face masks have skyrocketed.
Many of our viewers asked if companies are doing anything to prevent price gouging.
Our sources for this story, Amazon.com. Walmart.com and the Surgeon General of the United States.
A quick check of Amazon.com and we found a pack of 125 face masks selling for $220. Another for 100 disposable Face Masks selling for $159.
Just for comparison, a twenty-count box of disposable face masks on Walmart.com was less than $3. Even if you bought 5 boxes to get to 100 facemasks that would still only be $18.
We reached out to Amazon to see if anything can be done and a spokesperson sent this statement.
"There is no place for price gouging on Amazon. We are disappointed that bad actors are attempting to artificially raise prices on basic need products during a global health crisis and, in line with our long-standing policy, have recently blocked or removed tens of thousands of offers. We continue to actively monitor our store and remove offers that violate our policies."
Of course, even if you want to buy face masks, 5 On Your Side has already reported that many shelves around the St. Louis area are bare. No face masks or antiviral respirators.
And then there's this from The United States' top doctor U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams.
He posted to Twitter this weekend:
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