Masks are required when taking Taipei city buses and the MRT starting tomorrow. Violators will be fined $15,000.
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Yes is possible to get masks , but you need to check many pharmacies
Also for the people who purchase mask at the eMask App their time that can purchase more mask will be different
For example last Monday 23 I bought 3 masks at the pharmacy then I used the eMask App to buy masks for the 1st and 2nd round , but now the App says that I can purchase masks (online or make line at the local pharmacy) until April 13
So I think many people who purchase mask online will have to wait and you will expect to see less lines at the pharmacies soon
Any masks is okay? Or did it have to be surgical grade?
How about scarfs? I heard they can be even more effective than masks 
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Could any non residents use"I am not allowed to buy them from pharmacies" as a legit reason not to have one?
Those are now outdated reports (as I sadly found out).
As linked by others, mandatory use of masks on MRT and buses in Taipei (and presumably New Taipei?) starting today Saturday April 4, 2020.
Guy
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I think we can close this thread now. Donald Trump has just weighed in with his expert opinion on mask use:
“Today also the CDC is announcing additional steps Americans can take to defend against the transmission of the virus. […] The CDC is advising the use of non-medical cloth face covering as an additional voluntary public health measure. So it’s voluntary, you don’t have to do it, or they suggest it for a period of time, but, uh, this is voluntary, I don’t think I’m gonna be doing it, but you have a lot of ways you can look at it as follows the CDC is recommending that Americans wear a basic cloth or fabric mask. They can be either purchased online or simply made at home, probably material that you’d have at home. These face coverings can be easily washed or reused, I want to emphasize that the CDC is not recommending the use of medical-grade or surgical-grade masks and we want that to be used for our great medical people who are working so hard and doing some job. […] So with, er, the masks it’s going to be really a voluntary thing, you can do it, you don’t have to do it, I’m choosing not to do it, but some people may want to do it and that’s okay, it may be good, probably will, they’re making a recommendation, it’s only a recommendation, it’s voluntary.”
So it’s clear then.
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no.
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If we’re really producing 13m masks per day then it should be no problem distributing them at MRT and bus stations. This feels like another knee-jerk reaction without thinking through the consequences.
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The truth is until Taiwan’s population is able get 1 mask per day we shouldn’t be exporting or ‘helping’. We still can only get 18masks per month only.
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Exactly. And if you’re a non-resident you can’t get any.
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Look guys you don’t need a SURGICAL MASK to ride the MRT. Just find a way to get a scooter mask or some equivalent.
If you’re smart enough to get an easy card, you can also figure this one out.
Cheers,
Guy
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Easy cards aren’t required to ride yet they distribute those at stations. I’m just saying it would make sense to make masks available at stations if they’re going to enforce this rule overnight, especially given the production numbers. Didn’t they do this in 2003?
the point of general public wearing masks is not protecting wearers, but prevent them from spreading virus. Excluding non residents makes no sense.
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This is what I mean. The system is limited to ARC holders. Everyone should have equal access.
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Think people, think!
This is a GLOBAL pandemic. It’s not just about containing it here. It’s about containing it and putting an end to it GLOBALLY. By helping our neighbors, we are helping ourselves.
We can’t keep the borders closed forever. Society, business, the global economy can’t be shut down forever.
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It doesn’t need to be a surgical mask.
Non resident foreigners can buy with passports.
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Priority is given to medical personnel who need more than one per day, as well as security and support personnel like military and police.
We now have a reserve for those groups and a stable production. However, the masks we give are first purchased abroad. Most of our allies simply cannot buy masks or PPE. Right now, it is a bidding war outside of this island.
By helping them we help contain the pandemic in the world, which helps our economy too. We also protect Taiwanese citizens abroad. And help bringing an earlier end to this nightmare.
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Can anyone Photoshop a picture of Trump wearing his necktie in front of his speaking hole?
Until raw materials run out. Buy more recyclable PP products.