《TAIPEI TIMES》 Public split on rationing

By Lee Hsin-fang, Hsiao Yu-hsin and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writer

Public opinion is divided over the government’s decision to impose a rationing system on the sale of masks amid the 2019 novel coronavirus （2019-nCoV） outbreak.

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The government on Monday evening announced that starting tomorrow, Taiwanese residents must present their National Health Insurance （NHI） card to buy masks at more than 6,000 National Health Insurance Administration-contracted drugstores and pharmacies.

The policy would allow each person to buy two masks a week at NT$5 per mask.

Some opponents of the decision have said that two masks per week is insufficient, forcing people to reuse masks, while supporters have said the decision is sensible, given the current mask shortage.

Executive Yuan spokesperson Kolas Yotaka yesterday said that the new measure seeks to allow the public fair access to mask supplies while cracking down on hoarding.

The Executive Yuan expects mask production to pick up following the implementation of the new restriction, she said, adding that it has not ruled out relaxing the restriction once production increases.

The new restriction means that visiting foreigners cannot purchase masks, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung （陳時中） said, adding that notices are to be posted at the airport to inform those arriving of the policy.

National Health Insurance Administration Director-General Lee Po-chang （李伯璋） said that foreign students or spouses who do not have an NHI card would be allowed to use their passport or Alien Resident Certificate as identification.

In related news, the crew and passengers of the cruise ship World Dream that arrived at noon yesterday at the Port of Kaohsiung were not allowed ashore, due to 2019 novel conronavirus concerns.

The cruise ship had alerted authorities an hour before it docked that three passengers who had previously disembarked in China had later been confirmed to have 2019-nCoV, the Maritime and Port Bureau said.

The ship, originally scheduled to depart at 9pm yesterday, sailed at 4pm and is expected to arrive in Hong Kong today.

Additional reporting by Wu Liang-yi and Shen Pei-yao

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES