The newest name-based rationing system for face masks kicks off on April 9. Each National Health Insurance card holder can purchase up to 10 children's masks and 9 adult masks per 14 days, up from the previous 5 children's masks and 3 adult masks per 7 days. However, some think that this is still not enough.


People are queuing up in front of the pharmacy early in the morning to purchase face masks. The newest name-based rationing system for face masks takes effect on April 9th with a newly-adjusted purchasing cycle from once a week to once every two weeks. The number of adult masks one can purchase at a time is increased from 3 masks to 9 masks. However, a majority of people think the quantity should be increased more as the domestic production capacity for face masks are now over ten millions per day.

It is better if we can buy up to 14 face masks per 14 days because we need to wear face masks on the weekends as well. The kids talk when they are in school, they've used 5 masks on the first day.

It is better to have 1 mask per day. As for going to work, I think I need at least 5 masks per week.

In the past, people needed to purchase the face masks according to whether the last digit of their ID number is an even number or an odd number. Under the new system, people can purchase face masks anytime regardless of their ID numbers. As crowds are lining up at the pharmacies, the Taiwan Pharmacist Association urged the pharmacies to set up transparent partitions or PVC covers above their counters in order to block droplets.

The check-out counter is the place where the pharmacist comes in close contact with the public, therefore an acrylic protective cover or a plastic film is needed to prevent possible infection.

We don't have the extra energy to look for acrylic partition vendors and ask them to ask the government to assist in taking precautions according to the different situations of every pharmacy.

Some pharmacies said even though the government has urged people to keep a certain social distance but it is not mandatory. Crowds lining up close to each other for face masks does pose a threat of cluster infection. The Pharmacist Association suggested the government make the wearing of face masks mandatory when lining up outside or inside the pharmacies for virus-prevention.



藥局門口一早就大排長龍，排隊人潮繞了好幾圈。口罩實名制3.0新制上路，9號起，民眾購買口罩週期做了調整，從1週一次，改為2週買一次，而且成人口罩數量，也從3片，提高到9片。不過，不少民眾認為，國內口罩，日產能已破千萬片，每人口罩配給量應該再提升。

民眾表示：「（14天)有14片更好，因為禮拜天還有兩天要帶啊。小朋友真的是，因為上課一定要講話啊，第一天就把我用了5片。」

民眾表示：「大概一天一片當然是會比較好，上班日的話，我覺得最少可能大概(7天)5片，可能差不多。」

藥局排隊買口罩，過去規定需按照身分證字號尾數單、雙號購買，3.0新制不分單、雙號，每天都可購買口罩。排隊買口罩人潮暴增，藥師公會全聯會呼籲，為降低感染風險，建議藥局櫃台應裝設透明隔板或塑膠布，阻擋飛沫。

藥師公會全聯會理事長 黃金舜表示：「接觸民眾最近的地方收銀台，要有像壓克力的防護罩，還是自己去選擇做塑膠膜，可以避免感染。」

藥師 沈采穎表示：「我們沒有餘力，再去找一些壓克力的廠商，要求政府，針對每個藥局的一個不同的狀況，來協助我們來做一個防護的動作。」

另外，有藥局表示，政府柔性規定，保持社交距離，但目前沒有強制力，排隊人潮彼此擠靠，恐引發群聚，建議政府規定民眾，不論外頭排隊或進藥局，都得強制配戴口罩。