Premier Su Tseng-chang on Thursday received a Ministry of Health and Welfare briefing on the status and response of the COVID-19 situation. Since Taiwan entered a Level 3 COVID alert more than a month ago on May 19, the situation has somewhat stabilized and come under better control. The nation cannot let its guard down, however, and the Level 3 alert will be extended until July 12. The premier hopes everyone will work together to keep Taiwan safe.
Although the COVID situation is now more stable, the confirmed case count still hovers around 100 a day, and so the situation must be controlled. Sources of infection must be identified as quickly as possible through COVID screening, contact tracing, and prompt communication.
After more than a month of effort, local governments are becoming well-coordinated, and companies have clear measures in place for managing migrant workers and their movements and living arrangements. The nation must nevertheless keep its guard up and tend to every aspect of the pandemic response. Where there are possible loopholes or risks that require greater vigilance, government agencies must actively investigate, stay in close communication, and do a thorough job.
On the heels of Japan's donation of 1.24 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses, the U.S. government's donation of 2.5 million doses of Moderna vaccine arrived in Taiwan on Sunday. Even Lithuania, which has been hit harder than Taiwan by the virus, also announced Tuesday a donation of 20,000 AstraZeneca doses to be delivered to Taiwan in September, as a show of gratitude for 100,000 face masks provided by Taiwan in early 2020. The premier said he was deeply moved by the warm support from international allies that have come together in the fight against the pandemic.
The next two weeks under Level 3 alert will be used to hopefully end the soft lockdown permanently and bring a return to calm, said Premier Su. Hitting relevant disease prevention targets and working out the details of vaccination are therefore absolutely necessary. In addition, with the rollout of the COVID relief package 4.0, responsible ministries and agencies are adopting an empathetic approach and new thinking. This includes providing eligibility to foreign permanent residents of Taiwan for the new relief measures, thus ensuring they enjoy the same treatment as citizens. The premier expressed affirmation for this display of Taiwan's fair and civil conduct.