The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced that borders would reopen on Thursday next week, but Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan (薛瑞元) on Tuesday warned that reopening does not mean the COVID-19 pandemic has ended.
The center announced that quarantine for international travelers entering the country would be scrapped, only requiring seven days of “self-disease prevention” for arrivals.
“We have finally reached the last mile before the COVID-19 pandemic ends,” Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said last month.
Air ticket sales soared after the announcement, and when a low-cost airline on Thursday launched an online sale for discount flights to Japan, South Korea and Thailand during the Double Ten National Day long weekend, more than 10,000 people sought to book flights.
With nearly one-third of the population having contracted the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 this year, including more than 99.5 percent asymptomatic or mild cases, and with vaccines and antiviral drugs available, fear of COVID-19 among Taiwanese has been gradually decreasing and many welcome the plans to reopen.
However, although the CECC previously predicted the peak in daily cases of the Omicron subvariant BA.5 would arrive late last month, with nearly 50,000 new cases reported in a day, the daily caseloads exceeded 50,000 twice in the past week. Some healthcare experts believe that the peak could occur later this month. The center also urged the public not to let their guard down too soon.
Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝), who heads the CECC, said the center has observed many people relaxing pandemic precautions — a factor that could affect new case numbers more than the border reopening — and that easing domestic restrictions would have to wait until caseloads drop.
Public health specialists have expressed different opinions on relaxing restrictions. Some urged that the mask mandate be lifted and called for home isolation rules to be eased, while others called for continued vigilance, maintaining the mask mandate, as they expect COVID-19 cases and other respiratory diseases to increase in the winter.
In this transition as the COVID-19 pandemic becomes endemic, there could be some confusion over rapidly changing policies. Overoptimism and excessive anxiety should be avoided. The government and the public must make adjustments in attitude and practice.
The government should have a plan to transition to living with COVID-19, which should include letting people realize that they are responsible for assessing their own risks and making their own choices, rather than relying on external forces. The CECC should gradually recede to a supporting role by phasing out regulations, but still providing guidance and access to vaccines, tests and treatment.
People should be encouraged to learn about the virus and make decisions based on personal risks, such as those who plan to travel abroad — especially with children, the elderly and more vulnerable individuals. Preparations such as knowing the COVID-19 regulations and how to use emergency services in their destination, as well as having travel insurance, should be encouraged.
The CECC can continue monitoring cases, looking out for new variants, encouraging people to get vaccinated and ensuring sufficient supply of vaccines and antiviral drugs. However, it should also increase its efforts to instruct related agencies to absorb COVID-19 response facilities to ensure they are fully competent in running operations if the center is dissolved.
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