TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Residents of China have not only found it difficult to find medicine, but also face a shortage of blood donations amid the current COVID-19 crisis, reports said Tuesday (Jan. 3).

Since the Chinese government decided to reduce COVID restrictions, the number of infections has exploded, leading to several countries, including Taiwan, imposing measures targeting travel from China. Chinese people have tried to buy large quantities of anti-fever and other related drugs both in China and overseas, leading to fears of hoarding.

The latest issue to surface was a shortage of blood at hospitals, as activities promoting blood donations were canceled to prevent COVID infections, CNA reported.

According to the Red Cross in Beijing, the capital needs 140 tons of blood per year, requiring a total of 400,000 donations, but businesses, government organizations and schools recently stopped blood donation campaigns. Several other cities reported the number of blood donations at just one-tenth of the minimum level necessary.