Taiwan’s ICT support in Covid-19 battle

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Reuters image: Schools and other learning institutions are being disinfected across Taiwan

Taiwan’s ICT support in Covid-19 battle

PORT MORESBY: In Part 1 of our series on Taiwan’s experience in fighting the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, we look at how the Government enhanced public-private partnerships to contain Covid-19.

The earlier reports were these: https://pngcybermonitor.blogspot.com/2021/07/fighting-covid-19-taiwans-successful.html (Fighting Covid-19: Taiwan’s ‘successful’ experience)

https://pngcybermonitor.blogspot.com/2021/07/use-of-big-data-ai-to-curb-covid-19.html (Use of big data, AI to curb Covid-19)

This is Part 2A:

Public-private partnerships to contain Covid-19:

Taiwan made advance preparations and initiated an early response to prevent and contain the Covid-19 outbreak. In addition to consolidating cooperation among medical and public health institutions, Taiwan demonstrated its robust Information Communications Technology (ICT) capabilities and manufacturing capacity with regard to the production and distribution of epidemic prevention supplies, and brought to bear its medicine and vaccine Research & Development (R&D) capabilities. Close cooperation between the Government and private sector was the focus of initiatives.

Setting up new face mask production lines:

When the Covid-19 outbreak first emerged in China in January 2020, Taiwan’s daily production capacity for medical masks stood at 1.88 million. To ensure sufficient supply of face masks and other necessities for its citizens, the Government requisitioned local manufacturers. Meanwhile, Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders’ Association chairman Hsu Wen-hsien brought together dozens of companies to form a national face mask production team.

The Government invested NT$180 million, enabling this national team to create 60 face mask production lines within 25 days.

On Feb 27, the Government added another NT$90 million for an extra 30 production lines.

As of mid-March, Taiwan’s daily production capacity for face masks had reached more than 12 million. During this period, manufacturers provided more than 100 workers each day at no extra cost, while also offering components and actively supporting production lines nationwide.

Manufacturers’ associations paid more than NT$5 million to cover costs for workers’ dormitories, salaries, and overtime compensation. By December 2020, normal daily production capacity for face masks had risen to 24 million, with maximum capacity reaching 30 million.

Since Dec 31, adults and children have been able to buy 10 face masks once every two weeks. Manufacturers have also been required by the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act to include such information as the medical device licence number, name of company, expiration date, and shelf life on packages for the reference of consumers. 

 

Panic buying groceries … A supermarket in Taipei is jam-packed with weekend shoppers as the Government raised its Covid-19 alert level for Taipei and New Taipei cities to Level 3. The alert level means that people are now required to wear masks at all times when they leave their homes, indoor gatherings of more than five people are not allowed, and outdoor gatherings are limited to 10 people. - CNA photo

Support from the ICT sector:

As face mask production capacity was beginning to be increased, the Central Epidemic Command Centre (CECC) released several million face masks for sale to the public at convenience stores. At the same time, private sector engineers designed a mask search map app through which people could check remaining inventory levels at convenience stores.

Subsequently, many other engineers also got involved and developed different maps showing face mask availability, thereby dispersing search volumes. However, these were still unable to satisfy demand. In addition, close attention was being paid in society to whether resources were distributed in an equitable manner.

In response, the engineers who developed the first mask search map app teamed up with Digital Minister Audrey Tang to create the name-based rationing system based on data from the National Health Insurance (NHI) Administration, with people’s purchases recorded on their NHI cards.

This system was launched on Feb 6, 2020, and a mechanism was added allowing people to order face masks online and collect them at convenience stores on March 12.

Once the third iteration of the name-based rationing system went into effect on April 30, people could collect their orders and place new ones at the multimedia kiosks of convenience stores, and even order face masks for family members using their NHI cards.

Face mask sales supported by convenience stores and pharmacies contracted by the NHI Administration:

Prior to the implementation of the name-based rationing system for face masks, Government trucks delivered face masks to distribution centres belonging to the four major convenience store chains, which assumed responsibility for logistical fees, packaging, and manpower costs.

Once the name-based rationing system was launched, Chunghwa Post dispatched trucks to pick up face masks at manufacturing sites and deliver them to local public health agencies and NHI-contracted pharmacies.

The Government handled delivery and provided packaging materials; local public health agencies and NHI-contracted pharmacies to package the face masks and cover manpower expenses.

With the launch of the third iteration of the name-based rationing system, people could bring their NHI cards to their designated convenience stores to pick up face masks ordered online and place orders for their next delivery using multimedia kiosks.

Increasing ethanol production capacity to ensure steady supply:

To meet demand for ethanol during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Executive Yuan instructed state-run companies Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor (TTL) and Taiwan Sugar(TS) to increase production of 75 per cent ethanol solutions for distribution through major channels in 350ml bottles, with a fair price of NT$45 per bottle.

From early February to late April 2020, TTL produced more than 15 million bottles, achieving a weekly output of over one million. Its average daily production capacity has now reached 80,000 bottles.

TS showed even more innovation and commissioned the manufacturing of alcohol wipes at an average daily production level of 50,000 packs, with 10 wipes per pack. These were easy to carry and have been very popular.

TTL and TS both possessed the capability to produce raw materials for ethanol. Even in the event of insufficient imports of such raw materials from overseas, ethanol production in Taiwan will not be affected.

Private enterprises and the Government joined hands to quickly upscale production of protective and isolation gowns and toilet paper, as well as donate supplies:

To protect frontline personnel, private enterprises suspended their own production operations and rushed into the manufacturing of protective and isolation gowns. They also donated more than 10 million items, including ambulances, emergency vehicles, protective gowns, goggles, face shields, and infrared thermal imaging cameras so as to ensure the safety of the Taiwanese people.

Private enterprises and charitable organisations contributed goody bags for frontline police officers, medical personnel, social workers, and people in home quarantine and isolation.

During the early period of the Covid-19 outbreak, in coordination with the Government, domestic toilet paper and instant noodle manufacturers pledged to run manufacturing operations 24 hours a day for a two-week period to ensure supplies and ease people’s minds.