Focus Taiwan
Date:\ 03/12/2020
By: Ku Chuan, Chang Ming-hsuan and Joseph Yeh

Taipei, March 12 (CNA) Over 88,000 people were able to pre-order their weekly ration of surgical face masks online as of Thursday afternoon after a new mask-purchasing system went online earlier in the day, although the system temporarily crashed due to overload, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the CECC, said that as of 2 p.m., 88,000 people had placed orders via either the government website https://emask.taiwan.gov.tw/msk/index.jsp, or via a National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) mobile app.

Chen said many users complained about being unable to link to the system after it first went online on 9 a.m., but the situation was quickly resolved.

To use the online ordering system, consumers either need to have access to a card reader or need to download the NHIA app.    [FULL  STORY]