Another woman from Shanghai, who did not want to be named, was shopping at the Watsons pharmacy in People’s Park Complex, after making enquiries at Shun Xing and other couriers in the building.
She was considering sending medicine to her relatives in these “extraordinary times”, but was worried her packages would be confiscated at Chinese customs.
The woman teared up while recounting that some of her elderly family members in China, who were unvaccinated and in their 80s and 90s, had recently recovered from COVID-19.
Watsons outlets in both People’s Park Complex and Chinatown Point were out of Panadol – except for the menstrual as well as muscle and joint varieties – when CNA checked on Wednesday afternoon.
Staff at both outlets said they had observed many Chinese people buying Panadol in recent days. Both outlets have not put in place any purchasing limits.
An employee at the People’s Park Complex outlet said that when new stock of Panadol arrived on Tuesday, it sold out within half an hour.
Nurofen, a brand name for ibuprofen, also sold out, she said.
But at the Essentials Pharmacy in nearby People’s Park Centre, several boxes of Panadol were still on the shelves, though a staff member said stock was also running low.
