The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported no new cases of COVID-19 in the nation as it announced a way for people to donate their share of requisitioned masks to other countries through the National Health Insurance Administration’s (NHIA) mobile app (全民健保行動快易通).
As domestic mask production has stabilized and there are sufficient good-quality masks, the center has launched a mechanism for people to donate their masks based on the spirit of international mutual assistance, said Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center.
He said that people can easily donate their share of masks — nine adult masks per 14 days or 10 children’s masks per 14 days — in four steps: Log in to the NHIA’s mobile app, click on My Health Bank (健康存摺), click “respond to humanitarian aid” (響應人道援助) and click “yes” (我願意).
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
They can choose to leave a name or remain anonymous, he said.
People can only donate masks if they did not purchase requisitioned masks within 14 days of making the donation, so it is an expression of their goodwill, Chen said, adding that the government would decide how best to donate the masks to health workers in other countries.
Chen also announced that there were only 498 suspected cases reported yesterday, relatively lower than the daily reported numbers in the past few months.
Photo courtesy of the Central Epidemic Command Center via CNA
Among the 429 cases confirmed in Taiwan so far, six have died and 290 have been removed from isolation, while the rest remain in hospital, Chen said.
A total of 1,916 people who have had close contact with the cluster of 31 cases from the navy supply ship Panshih (磐石) have been identified, he said, adding that 585 of them have been put under home isolation, and of the 262 people tested so far, 254 were negative for the virus.
Asked whether there were infected patients who no longer had symptoms, but still tested positive, CECC advisory specialist panel convener Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳) said that there were several cases who had tested negative twice, but positive after a third test.
Patients have to remain isolated in hospital until they test negative three times, Chang added.
Asked if there were any patients who were discharged from hospital, but tested positive later, Chang said that there was a case in which a person tested negative three times and was removed from isolation, but after returning home felt chest discomfort and tested “weak positive” for COVID-19.
The patient did not display any symptoms after being hospitalized again, he said, adding that the patient’s viral load was very low and they were unlikely to have transmitted the disease to other people.
Separately yesterday, the Netherlands Trade and Investment Office (NTIO, 荷蘭貿易暨投資辦事處) gifted tulips to healthcare workers in Taiwan to thank them for their contribution and to celebrate King’s Day, a Dutch national holiday.
“Instead of our usual celebration in this serious pandemic, we choose to express our gratitude to the front-line medical staff in Taiwan with 3,999 tulips specially flown in from the Netherlands,” the Dutch office said on Facebook.
The NTIO delivered orange tulips and stroopwafels, a Dutch delicacy, to 35 locations in Taiwan, including hospitals that are caring for COVID-19 patients, the CECC and Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, the post said.
The gifts “represent our friendship,” Chen said.
Earlier this month, Taiwan donated 7 million masks to countries in the EU, 600,000 of which were given to the Netherlands.
Dutch Representative to Taiwan Guy Wittich later yesterday said that effective immediately, his office is to be named Netherlands Office Taipei (荷蘭在台辦事處).
Additional reporting by Lu Yi-hsuan and CNA
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