With the Lunar New Year around the corner, CECC commander Chen Shih-Chung said the crisis is not over, as the threat of community transmission remains. Premier Su Tseng-chang also said Taiwan isn't yet prepared to co-exist with the virus so he urged everyone to get vaccinated.
“This is more beautiful than our home!”Premier Su Tseng-chang attended an epidemic situation meeting, and then headed to a centralized quarantine facility in Taoyuan's Guishan District to conduct an inspection. The domestic epidemic situation is worsening, and no one can relax yet. The Central Epidemic Command Center enacted new measures to send people with mild cases of COVID-19 to government quarantine facilities, including ones in New Taipei City's Taishan and Taoyuan's Guishan. The facilities are equipped with doctors, medication, and ambulances to ensure there are no breaches.
Su Tseng-chang, Premier: “The characteristics of the variant causing this outbreak are that it spreads faster but produces mild symptoms. We have prepared sufficient medication, and oral medications are arriving. Our diversion of mild cases is proceeding smoothly and relieving the pressure on medical resources.”
Although the number of new cases announced on Jan. 24 was substantially lower compared to the two previous days, doctors warn that the numbers per se don't mean that Taiwan is no longer at risk. People can relax a little if the infection sources of all cases can be determined, but if there are 10 or more cases in a single day with undetermined sources, then returning to a Level 3 alert should be considered. Taiwan presently doesn't have the means to co-exist with the virus.
Huang Kao-pin, Dep. Director, Infection Control Center, CMU Hospital: “Over 70 percent are fully vaccinated, but the number of infected people is relatively low. There are two conditions to co-exist with the virus. The first is that the number of infected people reaches a certain level. The second is that the vaccination coverage is at least 85 percent to over 90 percent. Only then will we have the means to co-exist with the virus.”
The Lunar New Year is around the corner, and people will be traveling between the north and south. Su said people need to be cautious but not afraid. On Jan. 25, 1.5 million Moderna doses arrived. People are urged to make appointments to get vaccinated to protect themselves and others.
剛開完擴大疫情會議，行政院長蘇貞昌下一站，到達桃園龜山集中檢疫所視察。面對新冠疫情延燒，國內還沒有本錢放鬆，指揮中心日前啟動輕症分流措施，包括新北泰山、桃園龜山集中檢疫所都加入分流，所內常備藥物、醫師看診，到後送的救護車都具備，確保整條感控動線的安全。
行政院長蘇貞昌說：「這波的變種病毒特性就是傳播快但症狀輕，我們所有的藥品準備足夠，而且口服的藥品也陸續進來。我們用輕症分流也執行順利，減輕醫療的負擔。」
雖然24日本土案例相較前兩天看似大幅減少，但醫師提醒這樣的數字並無法代表台灣脫離風險。如果確診者都能找到感染源就可以稍微放心，但如果一天有十例以上找不到感染源，國內就得要考量是否要進入升三級警戒的可能性，因為台灣目前沒有和病毒共存的本錢。
中國醫藥大學附設醫院感染管制中心副院長黃高彬認為：「雖然我們有打疫苗已經到七成多，但是實際上我們感染者的數目是相對地少。那與病毒共存的話就需要兩個條件，一個條件就是說感染者達到一個相當的程度，再加上疫苗的覆蓋率超過差不多八成五到九成以上，那這樣才有與病毒共存的本錢。」
年節將至，南北往返機會大增。蘇貞昌表示，國人需要戒慎但不用恐懼，25日也有150萬劑莫德納疫苗到貨，希望民眾能夠按照預約流程，盡快接種疫苗，保護自己也保護家人。
