Long Weekend to Put Disease Prevention to Test 疫情升溫清明將至 陳時中稱「謹慎以對」

Numerous COVID-19 transmission chains are spreading through Taiwan, and doctors say the upcoming Qingming Festival long weekend will be a big test and "all of Taiwan is at risk right now."

This Keelung City junior high school was closed on March 30, and there was an announcement on its website that a student had tested positive and the school would be closed for one day as a precautionary measure. Classes were suspended for 10 days for students in the same class as the case, and all teachers and students will be tested.

Li Kang-chuang, School Academic Administration Director: “School is suspended for 10 days for students in the same class as the positive case, and they will take classes online. We also suspended school as a precautionary measure for other classes because we will undergo disinfection today.”

There are multiple transmission chains making inroads in Taiwan. One case frequented adult entertainment venues, complicating contact tracing and increasing risks for everyone. Central Epidemic Command Center Commander Chen Shih-chung said epidemic investigations are proceeding smoothly and the case did not conceal his footprints.

Chen Shih-chung, Commander, Central Epidemic Command Center: “The case was very willing to discuss his footprints, so things are relatively clear. We of course have to continue to investigate.”

The domestic epidemic situation is heating up, and there are concerns that the situation will worsen significantly after the upcoming Qingming Festival long weekend. Chen said people need to be cautious. Meanwhile, doctors warn that the holiday will be a test because travel between the north and south and sacrificial ceremonies are occasions for transmission. They advise people to keep gatherings small. They are currently a dozen or so transmission chains of unknown origin. Doctors say relying on epidemic investigations to keep them in check won't work.

Huang Li-min, Honorary Chair, Infectious Diseases Society: “When you discover them, you'll try and make sense of how this group of people and people near them all got infected. However, if you try to use a single transmission chain to explain all the cases, then you'll encounter difficulties.”

Doctors say that the government needs to not only pay attention to the number of infections but also the number of severe cases and deaths. It should also examine the medical treatment capacity and prevent cluster infections at hospitals and care facilities.

基隆市這家國中，30日全校停課，校方在官網公告，因有學生確診，全校預防性停課1天 ，確診個案班級則停課10天，所有師生都要進行篩檢。

教務主任李康莊表示： 「確診人該班他們是停課10天，我們改採線上教學，然後其他的班級，我們是預防性停課，因為今天要做清消。」

國內疫情多點延燒，甚至有個案到過八大場所，被認為疫調會相對困難，增加傳播風險，指揮官陳時中回應，目前疫調進行順利，當事人並沒有隱匿。

中央流行疫情指揮中心指揮官陳時中表示： 「個案來講，他的足跡他都願意來說，所以相對的是比較清楚，那當然還要持續地還要再調查。」

對於國內疫情升溫，是否在清明連假後將更嚴峻，陳時中沒有否認，定調目前就是要謹慎以對，而感染科醫師示警，清明連假的確是考驗，因南來北往，又有祭祀聚會，建議民眾要自行縮小群聚規模，而針對目前10多條不明感染源的傳播鏈，感染科醫師也直言，靠疫調，恐怕是擋不住。

台灣感染症醫學會名譽理事長黃立民說明： 「發現的時候會覺得說，怎麼這一群人、這附近的人好像都被感染，但如果你想要用一條傳染鏈來解釋，有時候就有點困難。」

醫師分析，群聚一旦擴散就收不回來，目前，除了染疫人數，更應該關注重症與死亡人數，並檢視醫療量能，尤其醫院和安養機構要嚴守，避免院內傳播，才是目前防疫的重中之重。