In the wake of the public's alarm over the coronavirus outbreak, about 2,000 surgical masks have been stolen from a hospital in Marseille, southern France, health officials said Tuesday.
The masks were stolen from the Conception section of the hospital, which is accessible only to staff and patients undergoing surgery, the Marseille Hospital Authority said.
An internal investigation was immediately launched to find the perpetrators.
The administration said the hospital had enough masks to continue operations as usual, but that the hospital had already ordered new supplies, and had taken steps to ensure the safety of the mask and disinfectant hand gel supplies.
French President Emmanuel Macron had previously announced that authorities would be requisitioning all face mask supplies in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
The president said the masks would be reserved for coronavirus patients and health professionals.
In France, 204 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed, with four deaths due to virus-related health complications.
Facial mask theft has also been reported from other countries. So in Japan, about 6,000 masks were stolen from Kobe Hospital in the west of the country in mid-February.
