Taiwan’s Minister of Health and Welfare and Commander of the Central Epidemic Command Center Chen Shih-chung announced on May 25 that although the outbreak has not worsened dramatically, the decision was made to extend the nationwide Level 3 alert, which was scheduled to expire on May 28, to June 14 because the positive rate is still high and hidden cases still pose a risk to families and communities. Chen also announced that 10 million doses of the new crown vaccine, which is of greatest concern to the Taiwanese public, are now on their way to Taiwan.
For more than a year, Taiwan has been doing an excellent job in controlling the epidemic, and the people’s lives can be considered quite normal compared to many other places in the world. But recently, Taiwan has suddenly seen a large number of indigenous cases, and with the vaccination rate only accounting for about 1% of the population, it has caused serious concern from all walks of life.
Chen said that 2 million doses of the vaccine will arrive in Taiwan by the end of June; and by the end of August, Taiwan will receive another 10 million doses of the vaccine. Chen was reluctant to disclose details about the vaccines, saying only that the vaccines include those developed by Taiwan itself.
It is understood that Taiwan has already procured more than 20 million doses of the Astor Oxford (AZ) and Moderna vaccines; Taiwan is also developing its own domestic vaccines. Chen made no mention of China’s offer on Monday (May 24) to provide vaccines and medical personnel to Taiwan on an emergency basis, an offer that has actually been angrily attacked by Taiwanese officials.
Commenting on the outbreak, Chen said that although the number of infections continues to decline, the positive rate is still high. He stressed that the current three-tier control is effective, but he is concerned about “hidden case spreaders” in the community, as there is still a time lag between the test report and the day of onset.
Taiwan’s opposition party has criticized Chen’s central outbreak command center for “correcting for regression” by recording confirmed cases that were delayed after the outbreak. Chen said he was concerned about the inability to control hidden cases during this time, as they could cause household transmission or contact with the outside world.
Chen also said authorities are also doing their best to track down the 300 people who tested positive in the capital Taipei and neighboring New Taipei City. He called on local governments to cooperate with police to find those positive patients as soon as possible.
Taiwan is currently on alert level 3, one level short of the highest alert level 4. Under Alert Level 3, however, schools and entertainment venues are all closed and group gatherings are restricted; anyone going outside must wear a mask, and no more than five people can gather indoors and no more than 10 people can gather outdoors. Those who violate the restrictions or bans will be subject to fines.
Since the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, a total of 5,456 cases and 35 deaths have been confirmed in Taiwan. Taiwan’s total population is over 23.5 million.
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