Rapid COVID-19 test kits are more expensive in Taiwan than in other countries, the Consumers’ Foundation said yesterday, urging the government to provide free or cheaper kits to encourage universal use.
The home test kits became available at convenience stores and pharmacies earlier this week, but the foundation has received many complaints about unreasonably high prices, foundation chairman Terry Huang (黃怡騰) told an online news conference.
There are five test kits on the market, including four imported products and one locally developed kit, foundation secretary-general Hsu Tse-yu (徐則鈺) said.
Kits testing for COVID-19 antigens are sold for NT$1,700 to NT$1,890 per box, with each box containing two to six sets, Hsu said.
Kits using polymerase chain reaction testing technology show more precise results and are thus more expensive, he said.
However, one antigen test kit is sold at about NT$1,035 in Europe, while its price in Taiwan is NT$1,800, the foundation said, citing complaints it received from members of the public.
People are trying to help themselves at a time when the government failed to curb the spread of COVID-19, and the government should provide stronger incentives for people to buy the kits, Huang said.
The government should offer subsidies for test kit users or implement market regulation tools similar to those used to control the prices of masks last year, Huang said.
As at least half the population might not get vaccinated until October, as estimated by government officials, universal virus screening is key to curbing the spread of the virus until then, foundation chief financial director Chen Chih-yi (陳智義) said.
While the government only conducts large-scale testing in certain infection hot spots, home test kits are the only option to many, but test kits are too expensive for those who have difficulty sustaining their livelihoods amid the pandemic, he said.
The government should, as it did with mask production lines last year, consider expropriating home test kits to control selling prices, Chen said.
The British government provides residents with up to two free test kits every week, Chen said, adding that Taiwan should adopt a similar model.
Some people who test positive using a home test kit might be reluctant to report the result to health authorities to avoid being placed under home isolation, he said, adding that the government should find a solution for the problem.
While it is good that the kits are available, the government should inform the public how to safely use them and handle them after use, Huang said.
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