Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) lawmakers yesterday criticized the Cabinet for its handling of COVID-19 vaccines, calling on Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) to explain its pandemic response at the Legislative Yuan.
TPP Legislator Chiu Chen-yuan (邱臣遠) told a virtual news conference in Taipei that Su in February told lawmakers that Taiwan would obtain 20 million vaccine doses through the COVAX program, and from drugmakers AstraZeneca and Moderna.
Taiwan has so far received 876,600 doses, or 5 percent of what Su promised, Chiu said.
This did not include a delivery of 1.24 million doses from Japan later yesterday.
Chiu said that since Su assumed office, there have been 246 preventable deaths from COVID-19 and mayor traffic incidents in Taiwan, adding that this proves that the premier does not lead the Cabinet effectively.
Regarding prospective vaccine donations from the US and Japan, Chiu said that Taiwanese are more interested to know how the doses would be distributed and if they can get inoculated with a vaccine of their preferred brand.
TPP Legislator Tsai Pi-ju (蔡壁如) said that the government should announce a plan for the expected doses as soon as possible.
Taiwanese need to know when they can get vaccinated — either self-paid or through a subsidized program — and how they would be compensated in the case of an adverse event to a vaccine, she said.
COVID-19 cases with severe complications are likely to increase today, the 30th day after the current outbreak of the virus in Taiwan started, Tsai said, citing clinical studies.
The government should inspect the nation’s medical resources and make the information available to the public, she said.
Pandemic hot spot surveillance should be enhanced, and information be provided on borough and village levels, Tsai said, adding that community COVID-19 testing stations should get priority funding.
In the long term, the government should make available a pandemic insurance for frontline medical workers, she said, adding that the time frame should be one to seven years.
Regarding a nationwide level 3 COVID-19 alert, imposed on May 19 and to remain in place until Friday next week, she said: “The alert levels should not be reduced hastily.”
The government should implement a system in which store opening hours are limited on a rotational basis, Tsai added.
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