Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
A shops in Alhambra, California on Feb. 27 Photo: Frederic Brown via Getty Images
As more people are buying out Clorox wipes, sprays and bleach, CVS is handling temporary shortages of hand sanitizer and fitted N95 face masks that began earlier this month, CVS spokesperson Joe Goode told Axios.
Driving the news: Health officials in California, Oregon and Washington announced Friday that four patients are presumed to have the novel coronavirus. Three of them were infected by unknown means, per the CDC, while the fourth case is likely travel related.
Details: CVS shortages began in early February, Goode said, and the company is resupplying as quickly as possible amid a "surge in customer demand." CVS does not currently have a significant shortage of disinfectant wipes or sprays, he said.
- Goode declined to identify which CVS locations are experiencing these temporary shortages, noting that the company has a local retail presence in 10,000 communities.
Reality check: Washing your hands is the best way to protect against the coronavirus, according to doctors and health officials.
- The U.S. Surgeon General urged Americans to "stop buying masks" on Saturday, saying that "if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!"
- Jerome Adams said that face masks are not effective for keeping the general public from catching the coronavirus.
The big picture: There are severe shortages of face masks in China, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, as people are encouraged to wear them.
- When low-risk countries stockpile N-95 masks, they are taking the supply away from people who have an immediate need for them, Axios' Marisa Fernandez reports.
Go deeper... California coronavirus: Latest case has no recent history of international travel