COVID-19 rapid testing kits for use in the home can be bought at select convenience stores in northern Taiwan, with plans to supply stores nationwide by the weekend.
Five companies have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to sell the kits, which test for either COVID-19 antigens or the virus’ nucleic acid.
Aside from pharmacies, home testing kits can be bought at convenience store chains 7-Eleven, Hi-Life and OK Mart, while FamilyMart plans to start selling the products on Saturday.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Tests went on sale yesterday at all 7-Eleven locations north of Taoyuan that are authorized to sell medical products, the convenience store’s operator, Uni-President Enterprises, said.
Individual antigen test strips produced by domestic firm TaiDoc Technology are available for NT$350 each, it said.
Uni-President said it hopes to make the tests available at all authorized 7-Eleven stores nationwide by Thursday next week.
Hi-Life also began selling TaiDoc testing kits yesterday, although only at its store on Dihua Street in Taipei’s Datong District (大同) and its Wugong store in New Taipei City’s Wugu District (五股).
Unlike 7-Eleven, Hi-Life is selling boxes of five testing strips for NT$1,700. Each store has 100 boxes available.
From today, OK Mart is to begin selling test kits produced by Swiss firm Roche at NT$1,900 for a box of five, the firm said.
Orders can be made from OK Mart kiosks nationwide for pickup starting from July 9, it added.
From Saturday, FamilyMart is to offer TaiDoc and Roche kits at nearly 3,800 stores nationwide that are authorized to sell medical products.
The Roche tests are to be sold in boxes of five for NT$1,800, while the TaiDoc tests would be sold in boxes of 20 for NT$5,880, FamilyMart said, adding that it is targeting corporate customers.
Preorders could be made at FamiPort kiosks for pickup the next day at the earliest, FamilyMart added.
Cosmed is also offering TaiDoc tests from today in Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan and Keelung in boxes of five strips each, while it plans to stock Roche kits in boxes of five nationwide from Saturday.
According to FDA guidelines, people who test positive with a rapid testing kit while in home quarantine should contact their local health bureau or call the 1922 hotline, which would give instructions on how to safely dispose of the test.
Those who test positive while not in quarantine should go to a community testing center for further testing, bringing the used kit in a sealed container for disposal by medical personnel.
However, a negative test result is not definitive, the FDA said.
Those who test negative should still monitor their health and follow the guidelines, the agency said, adding that the tests can be thrown away in the regular trash after being sealed in a plastic bag.
Meanwhile, Uni-President said it sold more than 10,000 protective goggles and face shields in their first week on the shelves in northern Taiwan earlier this month.
Since then, the firm has stocked 7-Eleven stores nationwide with the products, Uni-President said, adding that it is to complete its set of protective equipment with portable sanitizer spray pens to be available from today.
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