Passengers wear face masks at Taoyuan International Airport in northern Taiwan yesterday. Taiwan said it remained free of swine flu, officially known as A (H1N1) influenza. AFP

HONG KONG: The people of Taiwan breathed a collective sigh of relief after learning that a man who arrived home from Central America with a high fever has tested negative for the A (H1N1) influenza virus.

The 43-year-old man surnamed Chiu arrived at Taoyuan International Airport running a fever of 39.6 Celsius yesterday morning and was whisked immediately to Tao Yuan General Hospital.

Chiu's son, who had accompanied his father on the flight back, said his father had visited Belize, which borders Mexico, about a week ago. He developed a fever which later was diagnosed as a common cold. His temperature dropped to normal before he boarded his flight back to Taiwan.

As of yesterday noon, Taiwan had no confirmed cases of H1N1 flu, according to Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

The health authority has examined 55 cases which met the criteria for swine flu virus. Thirty-nine cases have been excluded while another 16 await completion of laboratory analysis , according to the CECC.

In Taiwan's effort to mobilize against a flu outbreak, the CECC released 2 million face masks to ensure sufficient supply for the public.

The masks will be for sale at four leading convenience store chains - 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Hi-Life, and OK - by May 7 and could become available as early as today, said Shih Wen-yi, deputy director-general of the Department of Health (DOH) Centers for Disease Control.

Purchasers will not be required to produce identity papers and no limitations will be placed on the amount purchasers can buy. "There's no need to hurry," Shih said.

In announcing the policy on Sunday, "Vice Premier" Chiu Cheng-hsiung said 2 million masks are enough for 6-7 percent of Taiwan's population. There will be enough masks for every resident in two to three weeks, as Taiwan manufacturers churn out 1.52 million per day.

A survey by the Consumer's Foundation revealed that 59 per cent of drug stores are sold out of N95 and 35 have no supplies of surgical masks remaining.

The DOH also disclosed yesterday that the US has agreed to provide samples of the A (H1N1) virus strain to assist Taiwan pharmaceutical companies in developing human vaccines.

The sample of the A(H1N1) virus strain is expected to be delivered by May 20 and a vaccine against the A (H1N1) flu virus could be available to the Taiwan public by September, said DOH head Yeh Ching-chuan.

(HK Edition 05/05/2009 page1)