每日英語跟讀 Ep.785: About Face Masks: Foreigners without Taiwan NHI card can still get masks

中央流行疫情指揮中心於今（4) 公布沒有持健保卡的外籍人士並不因新制受限，仍能購買口罩。

Foreigners without National Health Insurance (NHI) card will still have access to face masks when a new policy goes into effect on Thursday, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC, 中央流行疫情指揮中心) said on Tuesday.

健保署署長李伯璋在記者會表示，外籍人士必須提供個人身份資料給當地健保特約藥局，藥局人局會以此登記購買紀錄。

Foreigners will be required to provide their own identification information to local pharmacies where staff will make records accordingly, Director General of Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Administration (健保署) Lee Po-chang (李伯璋) said at a press conference earlier today.

至於其他規定則與台灣居民相同。

Lee was unclear as to the type of identification required, adding that relevant authorities are working on the details. Other rules are consistent with those applied to Taiwanese residents, he added.

因此許多沒有醫療險來台旅遊的外籍人士可以放心，同樣可以購買到口罩。

The announcement comes as a relief to many non-nationals visiting Taiwan without health insurance.

移民署資料顯示，截至去年年底在台外來人口停留人數有近20萬名。

Statistics compiled by the Ministry of Immigration (MOI) show that there were almost 200,000 foreigners residing on various types of visas by the end of 2019.

持有外僑居留證、永久居留證的在台外籍人士只要出示健保卡至特約藥局即可買到口罩。

To clarify, foreign residents including those with Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) and Alien Permanent Resident Certificate (APRC) will be eligible to masks as long as they provide their NHI cards at pharmacies under the new policy.