The next two weeks are critical for containing the COVID-19 outbreak, which hinges on the cooperation of confirmed cases and the public, infectious-disease experts said on Saturday.
After a sharp spike in cases, the Central Epidemic Command Center on Saturday raised the pandemic alert for Taipei and New Taipei City to level 3 until May 28.
While serious, Taiwan would make it through if the outbreak is contained over the next two weeks, said Chen Yee-chun (陳宜君), director of National Taiwan University Hospital’s (NTUH) Division of Infectious Diseases.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
Cases have been climbing so rapidly due in part to the reluctance of confirmed cases to report their whereabouts, Chen said.
If there are any omissions, it makes it difficult to trace all of the contacts and prevent the virus from spreading further, she said.
Those who do not immediately report the places they have visited are exposing their friends and family to the greatest risk, she added.
Photo: Cheng Ming-hsiang, Taipei Times
The spread of the UK variant should serve as a warning that people can no longer indulge in a sense of superiority about Taiwan’s pandemic success, Chen said.
“The medical world is most scared of the India variant, as it is more virulent and deadly,” she added.
Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital deputy superintendent Chiu Cheng-hsun (邱政洵) said that he was “extremely surprised” at the 10 percent positivity rate at screening centers in Taipei’s Wanhua District (萬華).
At the height of the outbreak in New York last year, the positivity rate was also about 10 percent, Chiu said, adding that the rate in New Delhi has been higher than 30 percent.
A worst-case scenario would be if Taiwan saw more than 1,000 cases in one month, NTUH Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases physician Lee Ping-ing (李秉穎) said.
Raising the threat level in Taipei and New Taipei City presents an opportunity to contain the outbreak, Lee said, adding that as long as residents follow guidelines, the outbreak could be contained.
There is absolutely the opportunity to stem the spread as long as people are honest, Chen said.
However, if people are not willing to work together, it is not impossible that the situation could deteriorate to the level seen in India, she added.
In addition to people wearing a mask, washing their hands and not touching their face, Lee urged everyone to avoid contact with unfamiliar people over the next two weeks to stem the outbreak’s spread.
Chiu also called on the government to restrict movement in heavily affected areas.
Residents of level 2 and level 3 cities should avoid moving between the two regions, Chiu said, adding that maintaining these measures for one to two weeks would significantly reduce the caseload.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old