Premier Su Tseng-chang on Thursday received a Ministry of Health and Welfare briefing on the latest COVID-19 developments in Taiwan. As the virus continues to change, the nation should also conduct a rolling review of its response, mapping out clear standards or guidelines to accommodate the situation in each field or sector. The premier instructed ministries and agencies to continue the diligent administration of COVID vaccines, curb outbreaks and deliver economic relief.
The methods and actions in the government's COVID response should be up to date and subject to rolling reviews. If the nation's COVID-19 alert is extended, the government must delineate clear guidelines. If certain restrictions are eased, the government should also provide appropriate directions and ensure the public has a detailed understanding.
As for vaccinations, the second shipment of 626,000 doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine ordered by the Central Epidemic Command Center was received in Taiwan at 3 p.m. Wednesday. An additional batch of over 1.13 million shots donated by Japan was scheduled to arrive Thursday. With these two shipments, Taiwan will have taken delivery of more than 7 million doses in total, said Premier Su. He called on members of the public to be vaccinated as soon as possible after receiving notice, saying he looked forward to an early return to normal life as an accelerated vaccination campaign pushes up coverage rates.
Regarding economic relief, the latest wave of outbreaks brought a more severe impact that has lasted longer and affected a greater number of people. To provide timely and effective assistance to those in need, government agencies should focus on relief program improvements in continuing to map out response and enhancement measures, the premier said.