Premier Su Tseng-chang is calling on local governments to impose heavy fines on those who violate COVID-19 quarantine regulations.
Su was speaking Thursday at the Cabinet, where the health and labor ministries delivered reports on efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Su said that while Taiwan has so far recorded only a few cases of local transmission of the disease, Taiwan must be prepared for the possibility that the number of these cases could increase. Su said that the US State Department has already warned that the COVID-19 outbreak could become a global pandemic within the next 30 days.
Taiwan has put quarantine measures in place to prevent the spread of the disease. Those required to remain under home quarantine include those arriving from certain countries and regions where the outbreak has become especially severe.
Su said that those who leave quarantine before being cleared to do so must be subject to heavy fines. He also said local governments must ensure that fines are paid without too much delay. He called on the Central Epidemic Command Center to quickly draw up guidelines about penalties for violators that local governments can consult.