Protective N95 masks are in high demand on the South Coast, as people worried about the Coronavirus in China buy them up.
The virus has not made its way to the South Coast, and health officials say that people don't need to wear the masks on a regular basis.
Mark Ruiz with the Montecito Village Hardware store says that when he opened up shop on Monday, there were already people asking for just one item: the N95 mask.
"Monday morning we were fully stocked, the whole thing was filled up," Ruiz says. Now? "It's empty."
Ruiz has ordered a new shipment, and expects it that delivery to be sold soon as well.
Some stores as reporting customers getting shopping carts full of the masks, and a number of hardware and drug stores are sold out.
