COVID-19 Delta variant outbreaks are triggering fresh lockdowns and new restrictions around the world. But this week in Taiwan, health authorities had a rare cause for celebration.
It’s been a long 108 days. But after months of lockdowns and restrictions, Taiwan finally reported zero cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday for the first time since May 9.
But Taiwan isn’t out of the woods yet. Health Minister Chen Shih-chung says the country has to keep a close eye on people entering its borders. And experts say people shouldn’t get complacent. That’s because the Delta variant continues to pose a threat.
Government health official Lee Ping-ing says Taiwan might be able to eradicate COVID-19 within its borders. But one day without new cases is not enough to tell.
More than 40% of the population has had at least one vaccine dose. But come the winter, when diseases spread more rapidly, experts think Taiwan could face further challenges. So even if there are two weeks without new cases, the risks are still considerable.
National Taiwan University Hospital’s Dr. Huang Li-min says people carrying Delta continue to arrive from overseas. He says that’s why it’s so hard to ease restrictions. Huang says all it would take is one case to slip through to cause a big problem.
Even with zero domestic cases, Taiwan cannot rest easy until the global pandemic is over. All eyes are on next-generation vaccines and cutting-edge treatments to win the battle against the virus.