The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported one imported case of COVID-19 — a Taiwanese who had returned from Nepal — and explained the criteria for exchanging masks made by Carry Hi-tech Co (加利科技) that were purchased through the government’s mask rationing system.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), the CECC’s spokesman, said that the nation’s 494th confirmed case is Taiwanese man in his 20s who traveled to Nepal for religious activities and returned to Taiwan with a friend on Thursday last week.
The man and his friend provided negative COVID-19 test results taken within three days of boarding the plane, and they did not have any symptoms upon arrival, so they returned home for quarantine, he said.
Photo: CNA
The man began experiencing a fever, runny nose, headache, sore muscles and diarrhea on Saturday, and tested positive yesterday, Chuang said.
Four passengers, one friend and four family members who live with the man have been placed under home isolation, he said, adding that the man’s family members do not have symptoms, but would be tested if they become ill during isolation.
The CECC last week said that people who bought masks with the words “Carry mask” imprinted on them through the government’s mask rationing system could exchange them for new masks.
The announcement was made after it was reported on Thursday last week that Carry Hi-tech mixed more than 1 million nonmedical-grade masks imported from China with masks it supplied to the government.
CECC supply division head Tsai Shou-chuan (蔡壽?) yesterday said that only masks bearing the words “Carry mask” would be exchanged, and they must have been “bought though the rationing system.”
They would be exchangeable at National Health Insurance (NHI)-contracted pharmacies and local public health centers that sell masks from the rationing system until Friday, and people would not need to bring their NHI card, but would be asked to fill in an exchange form, he said.
People who bought Carry Hi-tech masks in boxes from other retailers could return them to where they had purchased them or directly to Carry Hi-tech, Tsai said.
A total of 1,438,021 masks with the word “Carry mask” bought through the rationing system were exchanged between Friday last week and Sunday, he said.
The CECC on Sunday confirmed that 830,000 nonmedical-grade masks were seized at customs for being falsely labeled as made in Taiwan.
The media has repeatedly asked whether the importers include local mask suppliers that produce masks for the rationing system.
Tsai said that information is still being confirmed by the Customs Administration, but that the CECC would be transparent and open about investigation results, which are expected to be out by Sept. 18.
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