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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》Public health centers to sell masks
Signs explaining the government’s face mask policy and the hours when masks will be on sale are posted outside a public health center in Nantou County yesterday. Photo copied by Liu Pin-chuan, Taipei Times
ADDED DISTRIBUTION: The health centers are to get as many masks per day as the pharmacies, Health Promotion Administration Director-General Wang Ying-wei said
By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
From today, people can purchase masks at 303 public health centers with their National Health Insurance （NHI） card under the same rules as when buying them at pharmacies, the Central Epidemic Command Center （CECC） said yesterday.
After an increase in COVID-19 infections — with more than 66,000 cases reported in China and some cases showing up in other countries — triggered panic buying of masks, the CECC implemented a policy of selling masks at pharmacies and limiting people to buying two masks every seven days with their NHI card or Alien Resident Certificate （ARC）.
People whose national ID or ARC card number ends with an odd number can buy masks on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, while those whose ID number ends with an even number are limited to Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, while Sunday is open to both.
However, many people have complained about being unable to purchase masks due to the limited number distributed to each pharmacy.
“Last Sunday, as all people could buy masks, the lines in front of pharmacies were long, and some pharmacies are closed on Sunday, so we had asked public health centers to help sell masks,” said Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung （陳時中）, who also heads the CECC.
Starting today, people can buy masks at 303 public health centers across the nation, Chen said, adding that the rules for buying masks at pharmacies would also cover purchases at public health centers.
The same numbers of masks are to be distributed to health centers as to pharmacies: 200 adult masks and 50 child masks per day, Health Promotion Administration Director-General Wang Ying-wei （王英偉） said.
Chen said that there were no new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Taiwan on Friday.
The total number of confirmed cases remains at 18, while two treated for the infection have been discharged from hospital.
The remaining 16 cases are in stable condition and continue to receive treatment in isolation wards, he said.
At present, 355 people who had direct contact with those confirmed to be infected are under compulsory home quarantine, Chen said, adding that 20 of those reported having symptoms, with 15 testing negative for COVID-19 and five still undergoing testing.
Among the 247 people evacuated from Wuhan, China, last week, only one was confirmed to have been infected with COVID-19, the 11th case in Taiwan, he said.
Chen urged the public to continue to avoid air travel to minimize their risk of contracting COVID-19.
Additional reporting by CNA
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
