Taiwan has a sufficient supply of face masks for the public to use amid mounting worries of a swine flu, or influenza A(H1N1) flu, epidemic erupting in Taiwan, the government said Thursday, urging people not to hoard the products. 'With sufficient face masks in stock, there is no need for the public to hoard them, ' said the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs. IDB officials quoted the latest survey as finding that the inventory for face masks held by four major convenience store franchises nationwide can satisfy demand for one to two months. The four franchise systems operate a total of 9,200 stores throughout the country. The IDB will also constantly remind these franchises not to leave their store shelves empty so people can buy face masks whenever they need them, the officials said. Meanwhile, they added that the existing inventory of ordinary face masks held by the central government totals 11 million pieces, enough for half of the nation's population. In addition, they said, another 15 million face masks are in stock for the use in medical institutions or by medical professionals. In related news, increased sales of face masks and other hygiene products, such as hand cream, dry wash and sterilizing liquid, have been reported in convenience and other retail stores over the past week, with sales going up 10-30 percent. According to Cosmed Taiwan Inc., a drug store franchise owned by the Uni President Group, its sales of dry wash have soared by 40 percent since last Saturday and sales of health-boosting vitamin C and vitamin complex have risen by about 15 percent. 'Overall sales of these products have increased by a larger amount in southern Taiwan than those in the north after Typhoon Morakot wreaked mass destruction in southern Taiwan with staggering floodings,' said a Cosmed spokesperson. As of Thursday, Taiwan had confirmed five swine flu fatalities, with the number of severe cases exceeding 40, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The number of cluster H1N1 infections is also believed to have hit 100, and more than 10,000 Taiwanese people are coming down with the virus each week, according to CDC estimates. 