Fears that COVID-19 could lead to shortages of daily items sparked incidents of stockpiling from Thursday night through Saturday, causing drugstores and supermarkets in several cities to run short of toilet paper and other items.
But local officials and an industry association of tissue and toilet paper makers said there was no reason to panic and that there were sufficient supplies of both.
Social media posts and TV reports Friday showed long lines in front of supermarkets and drug stores in several cities.