Taipei healthcare workers and disease prevention personnel who have come into close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case can continue working without being placed in isolation as per a new policy, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said yesterday while visiting a COVID-19 care center in Zhongshan District (中山), on the day the policy took effect.
Exposed personnel who have received a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine can remain at work under a plan that includes continual testing, said Ko, who was released from home isolation at midnight that day.
A rapid test is to be performed each morning before starting work, he said.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
The Taipei City Government on Wednesday established 12 COVID-19 care centers throughout the city, providing comprehensive care services for the increasing number of confirmed cases who are isolating at home, and people who are under home quarantine.
“There are about 2,900 people quarantined or isolated at home in Zhongshan District alone,” he said. “If there is a confirmed case at the care center, it might cause workers to be isolated and the center’s operation to be halted. Who will provide care services for more than 2,000 people?”
Included in the policy are health department officials, police officers, firefighters and environmental protection department officials, who are all considered by the city to be disease prevention personnel, Taipei Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) said as she visited a care center in Neihu District (內湖) yesterday morning.
Huang was also released from isolation at midnight.
The policy could be expanded to include public transportation employees, wholesale market workers and school faculties, she said.
The city is to discuss with the central government today whether rapid tests for healthcare workers and other personnel should be conducted daily or every two days, Taipei City Government Deputy Spokeswoman Vivienne Wei (魏文元) said.
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