After an emergency meeting Monday night, New Taipei City submitted a home quarantine proposal, which suggests that the people living in the same household with a confirmed case won't have to quarantine if their rapid test results are negative.
Rapid tests are in extremely short supply all over Taiwan just as cases are surging. Local governments say their reserves are nearly gone. New Taipei City, which is the city or county with the highest daily caseload at present, has requested emergency assistance. Mayor Hou Yu-ih inspected a rapid test manufacturer in Wugu District, where he said the city is using 100,000 rapid tests a day and only has enough for one more day.
Hou Yu-ih, Mayor, New Taipei City: “Right now, there are 10,000 people in New Taipei City quarantining under the 3+4 policy and they need six tests each. If we add the tests we need for administrators and all disease prevention-related work, then it comes to nearly 100,000 a day.”
The central government has launched the 3+4 policy, but New Taipei City says it's unfeasible. On April 25, the city government amended a proposal on a trial program that provides an alternative to home quarantine. The proposal calls for rapid tests for the people living in the same household and contacts as a confirmed case. Those that test positive will have to quarantine or get medical treatment. Those that test negative won't have to quarantine. They will only have to take home rapid tests and conduct self-health management. The proposal was sent to the Ministry of Health and Welfare on April 26 and the city is aiming to become the first place to try out this program.
Hou Yu-ih, Mayor, New Taipei City: “We delivered it to the central government and we hope they can authorize it. The epidemic situation is different in each region, so local governments need some flexibility in order to respond.”
Central Epidemic Command Center Commander Chen Shih-chung previously predicted that Taiwan could see a peak of 45,000 cases a day. Experts say hundreds of millions of rapid tests will be needed, and recommend that people take two rapid tests.
Arthur Chen, Chairperson, Living with Hope Organization: “It's best if you take two rapid tests separated by two days. However, if you have symptoms, you shouldn't wait two days. You should take the second one 12 to 24 hours after the first.”
Meanwhile, Taipei announced that a system with hospitals notifying of positive PCR test results went online on April 26. Those that are notified of positive test results should go online and provide epidemic investigation-related information, including quarantine location and contacts. The city hopes positive cases will proactively check in and manage themselves to allow it to uphold public health and alleviate the burden on medical treatment resources.
全台家用快篩大缺貨，縣市政府紛紛喊存量就快要用完，單日確診數量最多例的新北市也告急，新北市長侯友宜上午到五股快篩製造商視察，表示新北一天就要用掉近十萬劑，目前庫存只剩下一天多的量。
新北市長侯友宜提到：「以新北市的量，一天如果要採居家隔離3+4，一萬人喔，現在基本是一萬人，六支，再加上我們一般行政要去處理的，跟居家照護也好，跟所有相關防疫有關係的，我們算一算一天將近十萬。」
中央實施3+4政策，但新北市不買單，新北市府25日深夜修改居隔轉型試辦草案，內容大方向為僅讓確診者同住家人及親密接觸者快篩，如果陽性就照確診者規定走，採居隔或就醫，如果陰性就不需要隔離，採居家快篩加上自主健康管理即可。侯友宜裁示26日送交衛福部，力拚當第一個試辦縣市。
侯友宜表示：「那我們會提早送給中央，希望中央能夠核定，因為每一個地方的疫情狀況完全不一樣，既然不一樣，我們必須要有一些地方採取彈性應變。」
疫情指揮官陳時中日前曾推估，國內最高峰會到單日有4.5萬人確診，專家預估快篩劑需求可能達上億劑，也建議民眾快篩最好做兩次。
台灣預防醫學學會理事長陳宜民提到：「你用快篩的話最好篩兩次，中間隔兩天，但是如果你有症狀的話，你就不能隔兩天，你就可能12至24小時，隔一天你就必須再篩一次。」
另外台北市宣布，由醫院端通報PCR陽性個案的系統26日上線，確診者收到簡訊後再自行上網填寫疫調相關資料、隔離地點、以及接觸者等，希望確診者自主回報、自主管理，地方政府才能保有一定的公衛和醫療量能、減輕負擔。