Starting this week, Chunghwa Post is to be in charge of delivering 75 percent alcohol used as a disinfectant to protect against COVID-19, the postal company said yesterday.
The state-run firm undertook the task after it was last week ordered to deliver masks to be sold at National Health Insurance (NHI) partner pharmacies.
Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corp (TTLC) produces the 75 percent alcohol, Department of Mail Business and Operations head Chen Ching-hsiang (陳敬祥) said.
Photo: CNA
TTLC would first deliver the alcohol to 23 postal service hubs, from which couriers would deliver it to the NHI’s 5,660 partner pharmacies nationwide, he said.
Chen said that each partner pharmacy would receive three boxes, each containing 24 300ml bottles of alcohol.
As alcohol is flammable, couriers would be required to deliver the boxes in four-wheeled vehicles or larger trucks that are equipped with fire extinguishers, Chen said.
They would also be told to place the boxes in plastic containers for enhanced safety, he added.
Delivering masks and alcohol would increase couriers’ workloads, but many of them feel honored to be part of national disease-prevention efforts, Chen said.
Chunghwa Post would pay couriers overtime or allow them to take compensatory days off due to their increased workload, he said, adding that it would also have to employ more couriers.
The demand for additional couriers is urgent, as from today, the number of masks to be delivered by Chunghwa Post is to increase from 1.65 million to 3.96 million per day, Chen said.
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