《TAIPEI TIMES》 COVID-19 not yet at peak, Taiwan under control, minister says

By Dennis Xie / Staff writer, with CNA

The global spread of COVID-19 has likely not yet peaked, although the situation in Taiwan is under control, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung （陳時中） said at the legislature in Taipei yesterday.

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Chen is also head of the Central Epidemic Command Center.

COVID-19 cases would enter peaks at different times in different nations, Chen said at a question-and-answer session, at which several legislative committees reviewed the Special Act on COVID-19 Prevention, Relief and Restoration （嚴重特殊傳染性肺炎防治及紓困振興特別條例）.

Uncertainties remain when Taiwanese return from overseas, highlighting the need for more effort to prevent additional cases in Taiwan, Chen said.

Asked whether community spread would happen in Taiwan, Chen said that while it would be “difficult to prevent,” the government is sparing no effort to minimize the risk and the scale should it occur.

Precise control measures are in place, including proper inspections of high-risk groups and keeping them a safe distance from the rest of the population, he said.

While the government pledges to provide constant updates, it is hard to accurately say when the disease’s spread would slow, as a too-optimistic estimate could lead to a slackening of disease-prevention efforts, while a long-term prediction could cause unnecessary panic, Chen said.

About 40 medical personnel are in quarantine at hospital dormitories, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Ho Chi-kung （何啟功） said, answering a question from Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Tsai Pi-ru （蔡壁如）.

Ho did not specify what the condition of the quarantined personnel was.

The ministry should devise plans for potential cluster infections at hospitals, said Tsai, who is an aide to Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je （柯文哲） and was a nurse at National Taiwan University Hospital.

Medical workers, especially nurses, often work long hours due to understaffing, which would be exacerbated were more put in quarantine, Tsai said.

Large hospitals have sufficient personnel, Ho said, adding that local hospitals would cap the number of patients they receive were they to face difficulties with staff being quarantined.

However, if workloads were still too heavy, the government would supply additional personnel, Ho said, without specifying how.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES