Taiwan marks 200 days without Covid-19 infection

October 30, 2020 00:11

Taiwan has reached a record 200 days without any domestically transmitted cases of Covid-19, underlining its success in keeping the virus under control as cases rise across much of the world.

Taiwanese authorities acted early to halt the spread of the disease, brought in strict control measures, including two weeks of quarantine for anyone flying into the island, and poured resources into testing and tracing.

Checks on travellers arriving from Wuhan, where the epidemic started, were brought in on December 31, as soon as health authorities there told the World Health Organization they were treating cases of viral pneumonia of unknown origin.

The islands previous exposure to the Sars epidemic meant that preparations were extensive and up to date, and the governments response was helped by having an epidemiologist as vice-president and an excellent public health system.

Although Taiwan appears to have stopped domestic transmission, it continues to record new cases in people arriving from abroad. Questions also remain as to whether it is truly free of coronavirus. Local media have been paying close attention to reports of people who tested positive after leaving the country.

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