Anti-COVID-19 Measures Ramped Up In Taiwan

A further ten people were confirmed to be carrying the COVID-19 virus yesterday according to Taiwan’sCentral Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

The total of those now infected stands at 373.

Included in the ten newly infected is a four-year-old boy who it is believed contracted the virus from his grandparents. His grandmother last week tested positive for the virus.

Reports overnight in Taiwan say that the boy first showed signs of a fever almost two weeks ago, but despite being separated from fellow students in his school went back to the school twice to attend classes before being confirmed.

Meanwhile, across Taiwan a number of new measures are being put into place by the government in order to limit any more local infections.

Somewhat controversially, the CECC announced that those who had visited tourist spots in seven counties and cities around the country over the April 2nd – 5th Tomb Sweeping holidays should “practice self-health management for 14 days and avoid public spaces”.

The announcement was made on April 6th, after the holiday weekend had ended, but seemingly only in response to online and media reports of large crowds in some areas. None of the areas listed included Taipei.

A full list in English and Chinese can be seen on the Taipei Times homepage.

In the English announcement on their website, the CECC do not even list the locations, publishing a more general “….. members of the public who have visited crowded places during the four-day Tomb Sweeping Festival to conduct self-health management for 14 days”.

In other COVID-19 related news recently, stores or restaurants dealing directly with the general public will now require staff to wear masks at all times, although no penalties for non-compliance have yet been released.

An apparent double suicide by a couple in Taoyuan in the north of the country, whilst undergoing a period of regular quarantine, also made headlines recently.