I have visited several times and even before this virus I saw people wearing masks all the time. At grocery stores I remember seeing the workers who were stocking things wearing masks and gloves, which I never see in the US. Wearing masks while sick was already expected and has been for decades. Maybe since it's already in their culture to do what they can to stop spreading diseases, they were much better prepared than the rest of the world. They could also be lying, but that seems unlikely since the information would get out very quickly.