The government has announced that it plans to lower the price of surgical masks as concerns about a coronavirus outbreak keep demand high.
An outbreak of coronavirus centered in China has already reached Taiwan, with Taiwanese authorities reporting nine confirmed cases as of Friday afternoon. Concerns about the virus have created a sharp increase in the demand for surgical masks. Stores say that daily sales have reached 42 times normal levels.
The government has stepped in to stabilize the supply, buying up surgical masks in bulk and monitoring their distribution. The government is now buying four million masks each day, reserving half for medical personnel, hospitals, and patients. The other half is being shipped to stores, where a daily limit of three masks per customer is in place.
The government has so far mandated that masks be sold at the reduced price of NT$8 (US$0.26) apiece. Officials say that this is the result of the recent Lunar New Year holiday, when workers had to be recalled from vacation and paid holiday wages to meet the surge in demand. With the holiday over and factory production back to normal, officials say they can now reduce the price even further.
Starting Saturday, the government will mandate masks be sold for NT$6 (US$0.20) apiece. Officials say there will be a gradual return to normal market prices once the supply of surgical masks is stable. Meanwhile, the government plans to continue buying masks in bulk until at least February 15.