Domestic cases of COVID-19 have surged in Taiwan over the past few weeks, causing concern across the nation.
In February last year, Germany, where I live, experienced a similar spike in cases, with a cluster initially being contained before the dam broke after two weeks, due to arrivals from abroad and inadequate disease prevention measures at home, in addition to a lack of supplies and equipment to fight the disease.
Many healthcare workers were infected, because of their proximity to infected patients, and the slow arrival of adequate personal protection equipment and vaccines.
In Taiwan, the government on Wednesday last week raised the COVID-19 alert to level 3 for the whole nation, and this week extended the alert to June 14, including a nationwide school closure.
While this is necessary, it would help essential workers, such as healthcare workers on the front line, if schools could hold classes for their children — while, of course, implementing comprehensive disease prevention measures and maintaining social distancing.
Germany is experiencing a third COVID-19 wave, and even though it is producing its own vaccine and has inoculated more than one-third of its population, the caseload remains high, and does not seem to be falling.
With the high number of daily cases, people have become numb to the pandemic and all they want is for the economy to return to normal, for restaurants to open again and for life to return to what it was before COVID-19. Closing the borders and shuttering schools has taken a heavy toll on the country’s economy, and people are reaching the end of their patience.
School closures are a fact of life in Germany, but authorities have instructed schools to hold special classes for the children of essential workers, such as medical personnel, police officers and firefighters, as well as others whose jobs are crucial for the daily functioning of society.
The classes observe prevention measures and social distancing so that the medical personnel go about their work without worrying about COVID-19 entering through the back door.
Even though schools are closed, students are learning online, so teachers go to work as usual to post assignments for their students, and provide them with the material they need to revise and prepare.
The shortcomings of distance learning for students in elementary through high school is one of the biggest logistical headaches for Germany at the moment.
Taiwan has experience with distance learning, as some areas have used it for some time, but after the Ministry of Education announced school closures, the government should consider arranging classes for the children of essential workers.
Workers on the front line of Taiwan’s disease prevention effort should be able to continue their work without the added concern of the school closure as they help secure the nation’s victory in bringing this outbreak under control.
Perhaps Taiwanese can show the world how Taiwan victoriously brought the number of cases back down to zero in a matter of weeks.
Liou Uie-liang is a medical worker based in Germany.
Translated by Paul Cooper
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