Foreign envoys in Taiwan have praised the government’s “quick” and “effective” response to prevent the spread of COVID-19, saying the nation has set an example other countries can learn from.
While the virus represents a challenge to the world, Taiwan’s preventive measures have been effective, Australian Office in Taipei Representative Gary Cowan said on Saturday.
“We should say that Taiwan seems to have taken very effective measures, and information flow to Taiwanese people and to us foreign officials and citizens has been very good and that has given us a lot of confidence,” Cowan said.
The government has taken good care of foreign officials who do not have the necessary documents to collect two masks per week at pharmacies under the current rationing system, Cowan said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had been providing two adult-size masks per week to foreign diplomats and their family members because they are excluded from the rationing system introduced on Feb. 6, under which masks can only be sold to National Health Insurance card or Alien Resident Certificate holders.
Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Chief Representative Hiroyasu Izumi said the government has responded very decisively and quickly to virus prevention efforts.
Taiwanese have taken great care with epidemic prevention, which is an example Japan can learn from, he said.
The response to the coronavirus requires the cooperation of the international community, hence Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly as an observer is essential, Izumi said.
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