Local clinics are being recruited to provide government-funded polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for COVID-19, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday, as it reported 23,102 new local infections, including 25 cases with moderate or severe complications.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said that the CECC has invited local clinics to help perform PCR tests.
More than 300 clinics affiliated with the Taiwan Medical Association (TMA) and the Taiwan Otolaryngology Society want to help, Chen said.
A list of clinics that meet the CECC’s criteria would be posted on the center’s Web site, he said,
By Lee I-chia / Staff reporterLocal clinics are being recruited to provide government-funded polymerase chain reaction （PCR） testing for COVID-19, the Central Epidemic Command Center （CECC） said yesterday, as it reported 23,102 new local infections, including 25 cases with moderate or severe complications.
All pharmacies and public health centers contracted by National Health Insurance (NHI) to provide COVID-19 rapid test kits have been restocked as part of the rationing program that began on Thursday, Minister of Health Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said yesterday.
Kits were delivered to 2,700 of 4,957 pharmacies on Friday, and the remaining allocated stocks were delivered yesterday morning, Chen said.
More kits are to be delivered tomorrow to pharmacies that open on Sundays.
The Federation of Taiwan Pharmacists’ Associations on Friday said that it was dissatisfied that only about half of the NHI-contracted pharmacies had received expected deliveries ahead of the weekend.
Meanwhile, Taiwan
About 60,000 COVID-19 rapid test kits were sold within two hours across Taiwan as the government launched its rationing scheme yesterday.
As of 9am, 59,214 test kits had been sold at 2,323 stores and health centers, National Health Insurance (NHI) Administration Lee Po- chang (李伯璋) said.
Excessive usage caused the NHI system to crash for about 15 minutes at 8:30am, Lee said.
Purchase requires an NHI card or Alien Resident Certificate to be presented on days that are coordinated with the card’s number. The plan fixes the price at NT$500, with each kit containing five rapid tests.
The kits are available at NHI-contracted pharmacies
People who test positive for COVID-19, but have mild or no symptoms, can quarantine at home starting this week, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday, while more than 1,800 pharmacies agreed to assist with drug deliveries.
The quarantine announcement came as the daily local COVID-19 case count topped 1,500 yesterday.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the CECC, said that the quarantine policy is to help preserve healthcare capacity for critical cases.
Ten cities and counties had applied to implement the policy as of Monday.
New Taipei City was the first to start a trial program on Thursday