Taiwan Reaches 200 Days Without Local Transmission of COVID-19

Taiwan has proven to be among the safest countries to be in during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. On 29 October 2020, the country marked its 200th day of having no domestic cases of COVID-19. The government and local authorities duly credited the Taiwanese people for their cooperation and willingness to beat the pandemic while many other nations struggle to contain it. 

Also read: Taitung Now Has an Affordable Bike Tour Along Taiwan’s East Coast!

How Taiwan is beating COVID-19

The last time the Heart of Asia recorded local transmission of COVID-19 was 12 April; and what’s even better, a second wave is hardly in sight. In an interview, Taiwan’s former vice president, Chen Chien-jen, who also happens to be an epidemiologist, stated that struggling countries can learn from Taiwan’s contact tracing efforts. 

He also added that no other solution would work without contact tracing and placing all contacts of the positive individual under quarantine. Taiwan reportedly links an average of 20 to 30 people to each confirmed case. To make its process more thorough, the Taiwanese government requires contacted individuals to quarantine for 14 days even if they test negative. “We sacrificed 14 days of 340,000 people in exchange for normal lives for 23 million people,” Chen shared.

Aside from this, Taiwan closed its borders to international tourists very early in March. The country even banned exported face masks and centralised its distribution. In four months, companies increased their face mask production from two million to 20 million units per day. 

Also read: Taiwan Has Invented the First Coronavirus Swab Testing Robot

Many have noted that Taiwan’s sense of urgency, cooperation, and mind for tedious solutions against COVID-19 stems from the country’s harrowing experiences of SARS, the bird flu, and H1N1. Well, now the Heart of Asia is clearly reaping the benefits of preparation and learning from its mistakes in the past. Not only that, but the whole world seems to be looking at Taiwan in envy. And you know what? Taiwan deserves it.