Coronavirus: US accused of hijacking shipments of masks

Berlin's city government has accused the US of 'an act of modern day piracy' after a shipment of 200,000 protective face masks was hijacked on its way from China to Germany.
The masks had been ordered by Berlin's police force from an American manufacturer producing in China. But, according to Berlin authorities, they were confiscated in Bangkok and diverted to the US. As the coronavirus pandemic worsens, demand for crucial medical supplies, such as masks and respirators, has surged worldwide, leading to unprecedented buying practices and countries outbidding each other. New York state had its largest single-day death toll in the pandemic so far.

The state now accounts for nearly half of all virus-related fatalities in the country. As hospitals continue to face critical shortages of medical equipment, New York's governor, Andrew Cuomo, has issued an executive order to seize critically-needed supplies across the state and bring them to where they're needed most.

---