Finding facemasks for my friends holidaying in VIC

Happy Australia day everybody. I'll try to make it short and clear but I have to start with this:

I'm from Beijing, but preferably call myself Aussie cos I've been based in Brisbane more than a decade. Hoping you guys understand how much I appreciate all the infos not just all the deals and bargains but also everything you guys discussed and argued, made me understand the country, people, culture, lifestyle and much more. And the most exciting part of my Aussie living is that the more I understand it the more I love it and the less regret.

2 very close friends of mine, who are physicians from Beijing, NOT Wuhan, are currently on holidays at the beach somewhere between Geelong and Melbourne Victoria, the state just anounced the first Wuhan virus case in Australia yesterday. They are definitely healthy and clean from virus, and not worrying about the rest of holiday in AU but need to prepare some medical facemasks on the flight back to Beijing a week later, departure from Sydney, believed full of Chinese tourists, which is going to be a reasonably high risk.

The problem is they've been to many pharmacies today around Geelong area but non of them had stock at all even 2 stores showed stock online. It's not easy for them fisrt time visiting Australia to drive around in suburbs I never been to nether. I made some phonecalls for them but no luck yet. My guess is that somebody who are sensitive about making money from this kind of thing, besides the genuine buyers, maybe started stock up. Anyway, I feel here is the best platform to seek help from and the best time and reason to post my first thread.

They got some dust-proof masks couple of hours ago from Bunnings but obviously not meeting their needs quite enough. And they don't want to wait for ordering delivery to local stores as some of them offered, hoping to stick with their planned traveling schedule.

Any medical facemasks stock available information around Geelong areas is super appreciated. But for the reason I mentioned already, is there any chance to PM me instead of post them publicly here? I know it doesn't sound matching this forum and makes myself very suspicious as the profits-seaker, but I really couldn't find out any better ideas. at least it's much easier to prove I'm genuine than beat the profits-seekers. That's why I'm giving you guys as much as details to make sense. Any thoughts?

The group of 6, 4 adults and 2 children, arrived AU about 2 weeks ago, which means at the time they abord the flight there wasn't any officially confirmed case in Beijing and almost no Aussie had never heard of that. both of my friends are highly qualified physicians with 15 years practicing experience in major hospitals through all over Sars virus fighting (if you guys know what I'm talking about). So from their professional information and point of view, they didn't think they should bring facemasks at the time they abord the aircraft. The only concern of their long-time-planned holidays was Australia bushfires, which they got "no worries." about it when I was consulted by them.

So it was me who brought them here in Australia during the bushfire crisis and should be responsible for their safety, not legally of course.

Maybe too much details, just trying to explain the whole situation.

Thanks very much for reading and sorry for difficult understanding or mistakes from language problem. Any help is mostly appreciated.

Comments

  • Tell them to drop by Sydney on their way home and we'll give them 2 boxes of P2 masks for free.

    • I don't need it for free. But where in Sydney are you located? I want to buy some for myself and kids

    • Thank you very much mate and sorry for late response. Just realized I can't send PM till tomorrow as just a new member. But I'm sending them screenshot here. Your are the best and easiest and secured offer. But I guess they are trying to buy from Geelong in 2 days.

      Could you please keep at least 6 masks for them till I get their message of they on baord heading home safely.

      Thanks again. Later

  • Masks have been hard to find since December, I doubt they'd be able to find any of those disposable masks at the chemist. They might be able to find reusable respirators at Bunnings and other hardware stores and just buy the particulate filters. It will of course come out more expensive and will probably not fit the children.

    • Friends got some Bunnings which they never used before and the instructions maybe not detailed enough to them. So they were not very sure if they r good.

      I believe they would be happy if Bunnings is a pharmacy or a medical equipmentals supply store. They never heard of Bunnings till my text messages yesterday and they are docs not mask pro and never buy facemask before especially from a store looks like Ikea to them

  • I saw a sign outside a Melbourne pharmacy (I think near Elizabeth and Flinders Lane) that said Masks available. What types of masks, I don't know - might just be for smoke due to fires; rather than for the coronavirus.

    Although I read somewhere that the masks only prevent you from spreading your infection. They do nothing to stop you getting the infection. Not sure how true that was - it was in one of the news articles about the virus.

    • Cheers for that.

      All about risk and rate I think

  • Unless there's new info, they believe coronavirus isn't airborne so if that's their main concern masks are unlikely to make a difference. Avoiding physical contact and observing best hygiene practices are likely more effective.

    • +1

      Who are they? The virus come from other human containing the virus when coughing, wearing a mask can avoid contacting it.

      Whoever said mask is useless, it is a complete nonsence.

      Wash hands before touching your month,ears and nose. Wash hand before meal.

      • Doctors. Neither I or they said a mask is useless. It's spread by sneezing and coughing and then touching surfaces then your eyes, mouth etc. You could contract it by being directly sneezed or coughed on I guess but that doesn't make it airborne. As it's not airborne a mask isn't going to provide immunity. You could wear a mask, touch a surface that has it and then your eye and you're infected regardless of the mask.

        • Just use safety glasses.

  • +1

    Do you really think that Sydney is a high risk corona virus hot spot?
    It’s totally a zombie city but no one is infected there.
    Maybe you can try this
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/515141

    • I'm pretty good at The last of us on PS3/4. Zombie is our friends.

  • So arrr… How can we help?.

  • +3

    I'm in Geelong and speak Mandarin. Send me a PM with where you've tried already and perhaps I can give some other places to try.

    I might even be able to pick them up for them and then they can collect from me.

  • -4

    sorry for late response 哥们儿. Just realized I can't send PM till tomorrow as just a new member.

    他们现在住到阿波罗什么的了,暂时说不打算回Geelong那边了。可能还是过几天到悉尼再说了。反正他们自己不太紧张,到悉尼再说。所以这次就先不麻烦您了。

    万分感激

    • Any medical facemasks stock available information around Geelong areas is super appreciated. PM me only instead of posting them publicly here?

      If they're in Apollo and they don't plan on coming to Geelong, what was the point of this post?

      • Sorry for confusion and late reply.

        They were near Geelong last morning but arrived their Airbnb or something like that last evening. I know that because I video wechatted them last night just before I left u message.

        "开了一个半小时吧" not a far distance for them。they thought they are still in Geelong,after I told them we were still in the great Brisbane during we watching dolphin show in the gold coast

      • They will drive back to Melbourne some time tomorrow I think just don't off the highway I think

  • +1

    all bunnings have P2/N95 masks. even some P2 with carbon. dont just get dust proof masks in the painting section. go into the safety section, usually in to tools section with all the Makita power tools. and they have real masks there.

    • I'll forward it.
      Thanks

  • Any medical facemasks stock available information around Geelong areas is super appreciated. PM me only instead of posting them publicly here?

    TLDR

    • Love this one much more than mine,

  • +1

    That was a really long post to ask where to buy some face masks.

    • Thanks. I could do better:)

  • +1

    Sounds like they're on holiday in Pt Cook. Damn.

    • Don't know Vic at all.

      Yesterday a pharmacy shop staff told me try to call woran pond..no idea at all.

      • +2

        It's Waurn Ponds.

  • -1

    This book long post can be summarized in one line….

    "Any medical facemasks stock available information around Geelong areas is super appreciated."

    When will posters learn to stop telling everyone thier life's story and just get straight to the point!!!!

    • Right.thank you very much for repeating my summary.
      Maybe I should put this line at the beginning.

  • Pretty sure the departure from Sydney isn't the issue but rather the arrival in China.

    Anyways ideally on the plane you want the air vent above you turned on and pointed at you, bring a bottle of water if you can and that's pretty much all you can do for the flight.

  • Where can you get masks nowadays? Ebay just cancelled my order….

  • -1

    No point having a corona with a mask on.

  • P2 equivalent

    Does it say AS/NZS 1716 on the mask? Could you please provide an image?

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