The government has announced that it will start buying up surgical masks in bulk in order to steady Taiwan’s supply. That’s as concerns over a coronavirus outbreak centered in China see stocks disappear from shelves across Taiwan.
With factories reopening following the Lunar New Year holiday, production of surgical masks is starting to resume. On Thursday, the Cabinet announced that the government will start purchasing four million masks every day to help ease the ongoing shortage.
A rationing scheme limiting shoppers to three masks per person will stay in place. However, the government plans to bring prices down to under NT$8 (US$0.26) a piece. The government says that prices will gradually return to normal as supply stabilizes.
Meanwhile, Cabinet spokesperson Kolas Yotaka has cautioned Taiwanese travelers looking to take masks out of the country that they will be limited to taking five boxes with them.