TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Free COVID-19 home test kits will soon be available at 272 locations around the country, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Thursday (Dec. 30).

Taiwan's tally of Omicron cases has risen to 59, all of them imported, but the total is expected to increase significantly in the near future as the strain spreads around the world at a blistering pace.

With the number of imported COVID infections amounting to about 20 a day, the CECC said that from Jan. 1 it would increase testing and supervision at the local level, CNA reported.

The number of clinics distributing the self-test kits, paid for by the government, will increase from 86 to 272 across 21 cities and counties, according to the CECC. Anyone feeling symptoms similar to those of COVID can visit a clinic and ask for advice on whether home testing is needed.

If the test turns out positive for the coronavirus, the individual should submit to a PCR test at a nearby special clinic, with the home test kit sealed inside a plastic bag for handling by healthcare staff.