【Masks in Short Supply: Netizens Most Angry About Mask Shortages】

The situation with the Wuhan pneumonia continues, with long queues forming across Hong Kong to purchase masks, and even exorbitantly priced masks appearing.

✦Rich but no goods to buy, netizens are upset.✦

uMax Data collected online data from January 1 to February 4 and used the artificial intelligence big data system xMiner to analyze public discussions about masks, finding that discussions about mask supply were the most prominent, accounting for over 60% of all mask-related discussions.

The second most discussed topic is "quality," with most people focusing on whether the masks are counterfeit or their antibacterial effectiveness. The least discussed concerns are "price" and "government response."

However, the situation of "anger sharing" on Facebook is somewhat different. "Supply" remains the main focus of anger, while the least-discussed "government response" has become the second key point of frustration for netizens.

On the contrary, netizens displayed the least anger towards "quality" and "price," indicating that most netizens are concerned about the issue of "having money but no goods to buy." Additionally, dissatisfaction with the government is also notably high.

✦Mask shortage: The Chief Executive's performance becomes the focus✦

In discussions related to masks, the five most frequently mentioned government officials and departments are Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, the Police Force, Chief Secretary for Administration Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, the Food and Health Bureau, and the Correctional Services Department.

Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, the Chief Executive mentioned most frequently, accounted for 60% of all mentions of government officials and departments. Most people were dissatisfied with her lack of measures to address the mask shortage, with many comparing her to the Chief Executive of Macau.

The second most mentioned entity is the Police Force, with most discussions focusing on the police's performance during pandemic protests and whether they wore masks produced by the Correctional Services.

Although the Food and Health Bureau is the primary decision-making body for handling the pandemic, it ranks third in terms of mentions, accounting for less than 5% of the total discussions.

Chief Secretary for Administration Matthew Cheung Kin-chung recently mentioned that globally procured masks will soon arrive, making him the fourth most mentioned government official/department.

Finally, as the only department in Hong Kong producing masks on a large scale, the Correctional Services Department's stock levels and distribution of masks have drawn significant attention. Earlier, the Correctional Services Department decided to work overtime to produce masks 24 hours a day, making it the fifth most mentioned government department.

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