Premier Su Tseng-chang has hailed Taiwan’s progress in containing the current outbreak of COVID-19, after six days of fewer than 100 daily cases. But he is urging against complacency and highlighting three policies that will be key to preventing future spread of the disease.
At a meeting with Taiwan’s Cabinet on Thursday, the Central Epidemic Command Center said it plans to speed up the country’s vaccination program. It says that from Thursday, people aged 65 and older will be eligible for vaccination. The center also says it is looking into expanding eligibility to the ninth priority group. That includes adults under the age of 65 who are at heightened risk of infection or severe illness.
Premier Su says that the outbreak appears to be subsiding. He says that the arrival of the Delta variant in Pingtung County was concerning, but that national and regional authorities have worked together to control the cluster infection for now. Su says three policies will be key to success in containing COVID-19 in Taiwan. Those are: strict PCR testing of all international travelers, mass rapid testing in virus hotspots, and an accelerated program of vaccination.