Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je has proposed relaxing restrictions on fully vaccinated people. However, some experts disagreed and believe that co-existing with the virus is a gradual process and not done in one single leap.
There have been 600 domestic cases since the epidemic situation worsened dramatically in January, and many people have tested positive after first testing negative. Some experts say the Omicron variant is extremely contagious with a short incubation period. People may be healthy and uninfected when they check into a quarantine hotel, but then end up getting infected inside the hotel. They say the Central Epidemic Command Center needs to pay more attention to airborne transmission inside hotels.
Huang Li-min, Honorary Chair, Infectious Diseases Society of Taiwan: “It can be transmitted at quarantine hotels through direct contact with infected persons, a contaminated environment, or the AC system. These factors need to be clarified.”
Meanwhile, the number of people ordered to quarantine after a cluster infection involving a New Taipei City family has exceeded 400. Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je said on Feb. 9 that his views differ from those of Health and Welfare Minister Chen Shih-chung. He believes that restrictions can be loosened for people who are fully vaccinated with two doses. Some experts disagreed, saying co-existing with the virus is a gradual process and not done in one single leap by lifting lockdowns.
Lee Ping-ing, Member, Specialist Advisory Panel, CECC: “If we set free all these confirmed cases, stop investigating infections, and stop ordering people to isolate, then the situation that occurred in May and June last year may reoccur, where the virus spreads extremely quickly.”
Tony Chen, Professor, College of Public Health, NTU: “We can't act like other countries, because our medical resources will be overwhelmed and our economic production will suffer if we suddenly see a surge in cases.”
Western countries have begun relaxing border controls, and Taiwan cannot be an outlier. Experts say the CECC can adopt customized disease prevention measures according to types of venues and workplaces. Even if an outbreak occurs, it can still be intercepted quickly. The CECC should also consider reducing the quarantine period from the current 14 days to 10 days.
國內新冠本土疫情1月爆發以來，本土個案600多例，陰轉陽確診個案比例偏高，有專家表示，Omicron傳播力強、潛伏期短，有些人可能原本健康、沒被感染，卻因為住在防疫旅館而交叉感染，建議指揮中心應重視旅館內的氣溶膠傳播。
台灣感染症醫學會名譽理事長黃立民表示:「防疫旅館的途徑，當然就是直接跟（確診者）接觸，或者接觸到環境，要不然就是空調，所以要從這幾個因素去釐清。」
此外，新北板橋家庭群聚衍生的相關匡列隔離人數已經破400人，對此台北市長柯文哲9日表態，自己跟衛福部長陳時中立場不同，主張打滿2劑疫苗者可鬆綁管制措施，對此有專家表示不認同，與病毒共存需漸進式，而不是「跳崖式」全解封。
中央流行疫情指揮中心專家諮詢小組委員李秉穎指出:「如果我們完全放任這個確診的個案不去做疫調、不去做隔離的話，那可能會發生像去年5、6月所發生的事情，就是這個病毒的傳播會很快。」
台大公衛學院教授陳秀熙認為:「我們不能夠像國外一樣，一下子有這麼多的確診個案來，讓這個醫療能量及生產上面、經濟生產也會受到損失。」
專家強調，許多歐美國家已開始放鬆邊境，台灣應該也不例外，建議中央可針對不同場域、職業等工作型態，採取客製化防疫，就算有疫情，也能立即阻斷，至於檢疫天數，也可考慮從現行14天、縮短為10天，兼顧防疫與經濟發展。