The 2003 SARS coronavirus outbreak hit Taiwan extremely hard. It soon had the highest mortality rate in the world. Therefore, it is not surprising it moved so quickly when it heard of the first pneumonia cases in isolation in Wuhan, China. We knew it was something similar, Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu told CNN. Now scarcely six months later we see Taiwan’s COVID-19 end game developing before our eyes.
Proactive Steps Set the Stage for Taiwan’s COVID-19 End Game
By June 5, 2020, 24 days had passed since the last local COVID-19 transmission according to AA. Firm action had limited total cases to 439, with just 6 deaths. The island with a population of 23 million continued its impressive performance. The score stood at 509 and 7 respectively on September 22, 2020, according to WorldOMeter.
However, the Taiwanese have never been people to let grass grow under their feet, so to speak. They are ahead of the global pack and now rolling out Taiwan’s COVID-19 end game with the precision we have come to expect. CNN reports the facts have set the stage with life largely back to normal in Taipei. What a vision this must be for COVID-tired eyes.
How Hard Work and Determination Got Taiwan to This Point
Taiwan responded quickly, after first reports arrived from Wuhan. It sent experts to the outbreak city to forage for more information. And it was already monitoring inbound flights from Wuhan before that city went into lockdown.
Daily, even twice-daily briefings kept citizens in touch. The people trusted their government. They followed its advice because they could see it was being honest. They wore masks, they washed hands, and they obeyed quarantines their foreign minister explains.
Taiwan’s COVID-19 end game began with sober assessment of potential travel corridors, or travel bubbles with successful countries. It increased testing, but shortened quarantines for low-to-medium risk nations. Taiwan knows it has to reopen to the world, even if the vaccine-in-waiting is not 100% ideal.
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