People will be allowed to send up to 30 masks to family members abroad from Thursday next week, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday as it announced an easing of restrictions, including to allow people to buy up to nine adult masks or 10 children’s masks every two weeks.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said that as domestic mask production has begun to meet demand, the restrictions were eased on mask purchases using National Health Insurance (NHI) or Alien Resident Certificate cards.
People will be allowed to send up to 30 adult masks, or about two months’ supply, to first or second-degree relatives living in other countries per mail package every two months, he said.
Photo: CNA
Taiwanese living abroad with NHI cards can preorder masks online and ask family members to collect and send them, or people in Taiwan can share their own masks, Chen said.
While there is a mask shortage in many other countries, the CECC encourages people not to waste them just because they are allowed to purchase more starting next week, he said.
“From April 9, for people’s convenience, the limit for buying children’s masks will be changed from five masks per seven days to 10 masks per 14 days, meaning people can buy the maximum amount for two weeks in one visit,” Chen said.
“The change to the rules on purchases of adult masks is proportionally greater, with the three-mask-per-seven-days limit rising to nine per 14 days,” he said.
The rules dictating which days cardholders can buy masks would be removed, meaning people would be allowed to purchase them on any day, but only one type of mask — those for adults or for children — could be bought at a time, he said.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS