Taiwan’s COVID19 epidemic command center is warning the public to be on high alert due to rapidly increasing COVID case numbers in China. This was the main concern of the Cabinet’s meeting on Monday.
The command center says the situation in China is serious and the official data on the epidemic in China has been seriously underestimated. Chinese officials have stopped releasing data on people with no symptoms. On Saturday, they announced that they will no longer release daily information on the epidemic.
The risk of transmission is expected to increase with the return of people to their hometowns for the Lunar New Year holidays. The command center reports a total of 6,146 arrivals from China this past week, an increase of 7.7% since the cap on the number of arrivals was lifted on December 10th. It estimates the number of departures from China to Taiwan will dramatically increase to 224,000 during the winter holiday week.
The command center ensures the public will have access to COVID19 medications, treatments, and medical support if necessary. It says that after carrying out Lunar New Year epidemic protocols for the past three years, Taiwan will be prepared for the 2023 season. However, the center warns the public to remain vigilant and mindful of their health.