A pharmacy shop and its employee face punishment following an altercation involving a customer who called the store out for raising prices on its face masks.

The customer filmed himself confronting the shop’s employees over a mask that was priced at 35 yuan, declaring that it was too expensive and reminding the workers about government regulations against the price gouging of face masks amid the Wuhan virus outbreak.

“I want to buy it,” the customer insists after the female employee offers to give him a refund. “I just want to buy it at the regular price.”

Eventually, the male employee ends the argument by telling the customer to fuck off and punching him in the face.

Video of the altercation soon went viral on Weibo where raising prices on face masks has taken on the tone of a capital crime.

On Monday, the local market supervision bureau announced that it would impose administrative penalties on the store. The employee has been detained by police.

Last week, another pharmacy in the Inner Mongolian capital of Hohhot was exposed online for jacking up prices on face maks from 20 yuan to 48 yuan.

The incidents serve to remind how seemingly every corner of China has been frightened and affected by the outbreak. Hohhot and Donggang are, of course, a long way away from the coronavirus’ epicenter in Wuhan but face masks remain essential everywhere across the country.