Taiwan’s government says it wants to increase the country’s COVID-19 rapid test kit production to 12.8 million units a month by May. That comes as Taiwan faces its biggest COVID-19 outbreak since the beginning of the pandemic. On Wednesday, Taiwan confirmed over 2,000 domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases. That set another single-day record for the country.
The government says it has already reached out to five rapid test kit manufacturers about increasing production. Currently, Taiwan produces around 4.9 million rapid test kits a month. The government says maximum production could hit 15.8 million in the coming months.
Economics Minister Wang Mei-hua said during a report to the legislature on Wednesday that Taiwan currently imports the majority of its rapid COVID test kits. The economics ministry has sent personnel to production facilities. Those people will coordinate measures to increase production capacity.
Local governments will be the first to get new shipments of rapid COVID kits.