The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported no new cases of COVID-19, and said that it is considering revising the discharge criteria for confirmed COVID-19 cases from three consecutive negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to two.
Yesterday marked the ninth consecutive day of no new COVID-19 cases in Taiwan and the 59th consecutive day of no locally transmitted cases.
Although only five infected people are still hospitalized — with 431 infected patients having been discharged after recovering — the global coronavirus situation remains serious, so people must continue to practice the “new disease prevention lifestyle,” said Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center.
Photo: Wu Liang-yi, Taipei Times
“However, we have found that more people are letting down their guard and not wearing a mask at hospitals,” Chen said. “We urge people to absolutely wear a mask at hospitals, as recent statistics show that habitually wearing a mask and performing personal protective measures significantly reduces the number of flu and enterovirus infections.”
CECC advisory specialist panel convener Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳) said that based on international studies and observation of confirmed cases in Taiwan, the panel has come to a consensus that the discharge criteria for confirmed COVID-19 cases can be revised from three to two consecutive negative PCR tests, the same as in other countries.
While many of the more than 400 confirmed patients in Taiwan showed “sometimes positive and sometimes negative” test results toward the end of the infection, the viral loads of the collected specimens were very low and the virus could not be grown from them, he said.
The panel has submitted its recommendation and now the center would decide whether to adopt it, he added.
Asked about a claim made by the National Union of Chinese Medical Doctors’ Association yesterday that Chinese herbal medicine is an effective treatment for relieving symptoms of COVID-19 patients, Chang said that some cases were brought before the panel, but it did not have enough scientific evidence to draw a conclusion.
Scientific experiments typically need an experimental group and a control group, as well as a large pool of cases, so Chinese herbal medicine has so far not been added to the COVID-19 treatment guidelines, he said.
Chen was asked about Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s remark reported by national broadcaster Vietnam Television on Tuesday that Vietnam is considering resuming commercial flights to countries that have had no cases of COVID-19 for 30 days, with priority destinations possibly including Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Cambodia.
“There are some countries that are negotiating the possibility of resuming international travel with us now — and the news from Vietnam is fairly accurate,” he said.
“The exact schedule is still being discussed,” he added.
Regarding resuming international flights from local airports, Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen (陳宗彥) said that the issue of passenger volumes has been discussed with an airport company, the Civil Aeronautics Administration and two airlines, and a plan is expected this week, which would then be submitted for the center’s approval.
Chen Tsung-yen also announced that Olympic table tennis player Chiang Hung-chieh (江宏傑) would serve as the center’s new disease prevention ambassador, helping it to promote the “new disease prevention lifestyle.”
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