Close contacts of COVID-19 cases who have received a booster shot no longer need to isolate at home, but should practice seven days of “self-disease prevention,” effective today, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said that starting at 12am today, close contacts — people living in the same household — of those confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 are exempt from home isolation if they have received a booster shot of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Data from other countries show that people who have received a booster shot are at a reduced risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and are less infectious, he said, adding that the change allows close contacts with a booster shot to continue working.
Photo: Pin Fang-chao, Taipei Times
Close contacts would no longer be required to follow the “3+4” policy — isolate at home for three days and practice self-disease prevention for four days — but would need to follow a “0+7” policy — practice self-disease prevention for seven days.
Avoiding unnecessary outings, people following self-disease prevention must test negative with a rapid COVID-19 test within two days of leaving home, he said, adding that they must wear a mask and practice social distancing while away from home.
They are barred from dining in at restaurants, attending group meals or gatherings, and going to crowded venues or places where they might have direct contact with strangers, he added.
Photo courtesy of the Central Epidemic Command Center
Close contacts who have not received a booster shot are still required to follow the “3+4” policy, Chen said.
Confirmed cases are still required to quarantine for seven days, followed by seven days of self-health management, he added.
Starting tomorrow, people who are 65 or older and not under home quarantine, home isolation or self-disease prevention, but who test positive with a rapid COVID-19 test, can be diagnosed as a confirmed case by a doctor and prescribed the oral antiviral Paxlovid, he said.
Those aged 65 or older who test positive with a rapid test can bring the test kit to a nearby healthcare facility or show it during a telemedicine consultation, and ask the doctor to assess the result, Chen added.
If the patient and the doctor agree on the result, the doctor can report the patient as a confirmed COVID-19 case and evaluate whether Paxlovid should be prescribed.
If they disagree, the doctor can arrange for the patient to receive a polymerase chain reaction test or another rapid test.
People under home quarantine, home isolation or self-disease prevention who test positive with a rapid COVID-19 test and are eligible for a Paxlovid prescription — having met one of the 14 criteria showing that they have a higher risk of contracting the virus — can also receive a prescription from a doctor through a telemedicine consultation, he said.
Taiwan yesterday reported 61,697 new local COVID-19 infections and 29 deaths.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director-General Chou Jih-haw (周志浩), head of the CECC’s disease surveillance division, said that 28 of the people who died had cancer, a catastrophic illness or underlying health conditions.
Sixteen of those who died (57 percent) were unvaccinated, while 23 (79 percent) had not received a booster shot, Chou said, adding that 17 of them were aged 80 or older.
CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞), deputy head of the CECC’s medical response division, said that of 126 new cases with moderate symptoms, 57 (45 percent) were unvaccinated and of 22 new cases with severe symptoms, 11 (50 percent) were unvaccinated.
Taiwan had followed a “zero COVID” strategy because previous variants of SARS-CoV-2 had higher fatality rates, but as the Omicron variant has a significantly lower fatality rate, the nation is easing restrictions and learning to live with COVID-19, Lo said.
Asked whether confirmed cases who test positive after seven days of isolation can be infectious, Lo said studies suggest that the chance of a confirmed case being infectious after 10 days is near zero, while a Japanese study suggests that a virus culture is possible in 11 percent of cases after seven days of isolation.
A study from Singapore suggests that a virus culture is rarely possible in cases after five days of isolation, so only about 5 percent of cases would be infectious after seven days of isolation, he added.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
BULLY TACTICS: Beijing has continued its incursions into Taiwan’s airspace even as Xi Jinping talked about Taiwan being part of the Chinese family and nation China should stop its coercion of Taiwan and respect mainstream public opinion in Taiwan about sovereignty if its expression of goodwill is genuine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday. Ministry spokesman Jeff Liu (劉永健) made the comment in response to media queries about a meeting between former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) the previous day. Ma voiced support for the so-called “1992 consensus,” while Xi said that although the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have “different systems,” this does not change the fact that they are “part of the same country,” and that “external
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source