Mask exports cleared for June, real-name system still in effect in Taiwan

An Asian woman wears a surgical mask, a practice widely seen in East Asia well before the coronavirus pandemic. Photo: Facebook. Sketched by the Pan Pacific Agency.

TAIPEI, May 28, 2020, Taiwan News. Taiwanese mask exports have been cleared to begin on June 1, and the real-name system for buying masks will remain in effect, according to Premier Su Tseng-chang on Wednesday (May 27), Taiwan News reported.

Su thanked the continuous efforts of mask manufacturers as well as the country’s epidemic prevention team in a Facebook post. He said with production capacity at 20 million masks a day and the national stockpile approaching 300 million masks, the decision to lift the export ban had been made.

The premier went on to say that after fulfilling the government’s requisition quota, mask producers will be able to freely export surgical masks, and citizens will be able to ship masks overseas.

He added that in order to allow everyone continued access to masks, the real-name system would stay in place. Citizens will continue to be allowed nine masks every two weeks at NT$5 (US$0.17) a mask. Su also said to call the 1950 hotline if any cases of mask hoarding are discovered.

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