Taiwan's Covid-19 Success Story
Sean Wang, Policy Punchline Podcast
Sean Wang
While the coronavirus pandemic is leaving places eerily empty across the globe, from freeways in LA to the Eiffel Tower and beyond, the view from my window is drastically different. Here in Taipei, everything is still “normal.” The noisy motorcycles fill the streets, restaurants are crowded, and you can smell the delicious Taiwanese street food even before you set foot in the lively night markets.
Despite being only 180 km from China and having experienced its first case on January 21st, Taiwan has only 395 cases of COVID-19 (as of April 16) and 6 deaths - of which 340 of them are imported. One of the ironies is that this country that is perhaps the most successful in fighting this pandemic is neither a member of the World Health Organization nor the United Nations. Furthermore, it has not received any help from China.
Taiwan’s success comes from a combination of early vigilance, proactive measures, transparent information sharing with the public, as well as the utilization of big data and online platform technologies. Many aspects of Taiwan’s robust pandemic prevention plan come from the lessons learned from the 2003 SARS outbreak that caused 73 deaths and stunted its economy.
Taipei’s Xinyi District. Shopping malls and various shops are still open with many customers
To date, the government in Taipei along with the National Health Command Center (NHCC) that was established after SARS has implemented 124 safety protocols. Taiwan took measures early on, including inspecting plane passengers coming from China starting Dec. 31, eventually banning all Chinese visitors on Feb. 6. On Mar 20th, Taiwan closed its borders to foreign tourists and ordered that citizens and foreign residents undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon return. With its advanced technology, Taiwan’s health insurance and immigration agencies have also integrated local and foreign residents’ 14-day travel history with their health insurance card data, allowing hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies to access that information when dealing with patients. People undergoing self-quarantine are called twice a day by officials and have their phones tracked to make sure they don’t leave their residence. Furthermore, those undergoing quarantine will be compensated NT$1,000 (US$33.33) per day for up to 14 days. Fines are put in place for those that violate the regulation.
I have been able to experience Taiwan’s regulation since returning here on Mar 16th, a week before the borders were closed to foreigners. Upon arrival, I was immediately questioned about my travel history and asked to provide my contact details. I was then told to practice self-isolation: I was asked to try to avoid going out as much as possible, to always wear a mask and track the places I went to if I did go out, measure my temperature twice a day, and report to Taiwan’s CDC if I was experiencing any symptoms.
Da-an Forest Park in Taipei. The elderly and children still frequent the park for leisurely walks and exercises while wearing masks.
After a day, I received a call from my college roommate with the news that he had tested positive for COVID-19. I immediately called Taiwan’s center for disease control and they were able to arrange for me to get a test within the next two hours. On the other hand, my two other roommates in the U.S. were told that tests were only given to those with symptoms as they were limited in number. Although my results came out negative the day after, on Mar 20th, I received a phone call from Taiwan’s CDC, informing me that as someone on my flight on the 16th had tested positive, I had to go into mandatory quarantine for the remaining 10 days of the 14 day period. I moved into my grandparent’s old apartment from the hotel I was staying in, and the health officials gave me masks, official documents, and instructed me of the procedures I had to take. I was no longer allowed to step foot outside the house, and I would have to report online twice a day, and always have my phone by my side for when they would do random check-in calls. Throughout this experience, I was personally very impressed by how efficient, kind, and understanding everyone involved in the process was. Perhaps it is because I am of Taiwanese blood, but I did not experience any discrimination associated with the coronavirus that I expected. In a way, I believe that this sense of kindness and care for the community is contagious and a key factor in promoting good moral behaviors among the people in Taiwan.
Besides border control and community transmission measures, Taiwan has also undertaken vital steps in allocating PPE. Taiwan stopped exports of surgical facemasks on January 24 while using government funds and military personnel to help local manufacturers step up production. The government also took control of face mask distribution from the private sector on Jan 31 to ensure that there would be no hoarding or price gouging as has happened in other countries. Today, every person can register each week to buy 3 face masks for NT$5 (US$0.17) each. Its effectively designed registration system has also ensured easier distribution and prevention of long lines. The authorities have also actively tracked down infected persons and map to cases to show the sources of infection.
Temperatures are checked as you walk into public areas such as malls.
There are also daily press briefings held by the Central Epidemic Command Center through mass media such as television, social media, and radio to release vital information to help educate the public on topics such as the importance of masks, social distancing, and handwashing. Posters are also used throughout the city, and almost everyone outside is wearing masks. In the past week, I have seen restaurants and malls quickly adopting safety precautions such as using social distancing seating policies as well as testing temperatures before customers enter the building. The CDC is also collaborating with the National Police Agency, the National Communication Commission, and the Bureau of Investigation to fight disinformation.
It also helps that Taiwan has one of the world’s best healthcare systems which provides affordable, comprehensive, and convenient services to over 99% of its population of 23.6 million. Unlike many others in the world, those who do contract COVID-19 do not need to worry about receiving treatment. 52 regional hospitals or medical centers have been designated for treatment of confirmed severe cases while 165 medical facilities are designated for taking specimens and for treatment of confirmed mild cases. As I experienced when I went to receive a test, the hospitals all have separate locations set up to avoid nosocomial infection.
Despite having a world-class medical and public health system, Taiwan has long been excluded from the U.N. organization. In my opinion, the WHO should be holding up Taiwan as an amazing success story. Furthermore, on April 1st, Taiwan pledged to donate a total of 10 million surgical masks to its diplomatic allies, 11 European countries and the U.S. for use as personal protective equipment by frontline medical personnel. Local manufacturers are also increasing production of quinine, which may be effective in treating COVID-19, and the government is working with like-minded partners on sharing the technology used to trace and investigate outbreaks. Clearly, Taiwan has something to offer the global health community.
Today, with many of our major challenges such as climate, health, trade, and technology having cross-border elements, there is a need for more world collaboration. I believe Taiwan should be included in that conversation, helping to shape the global policy with its highly educated, industrialized and high-tech expertise.
REFERENCES:
https://www.cdc.gov.tw/File/Get/yMwdJI7dCCxcdzCIII34uw
https://english.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=2679
https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-taiwan-case-study-rapid-response-containment-2020-3
https://time.com/5805629/coronavirus-taiwan/
https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/03/16/taiwan-china-fear-coronavirus-success/