Taipei City Deputy Mayor Tests Positive 台北副市長黃珊珊快篩陽性 取消行程居隔

Taipei City Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang canceled all her appointments after being confirmed with COVID-19. Meanwhile, Transportation and Communications Minister Wang Kwo-tsai is also quarantining at home after someone in his household tested positive.

Taipei City Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang headed to Muzha Depot on May 10 to inspect a test run of a "disease prevention emergency outpatient service." One day later, she posted on Facebook that she had tested positive in a rapid test. She added that after two years of handling disease prevention work, she at last is getting to know what it's like to coexist with the virus, and that she has finally met the "enemy" that she has spent day and night thinking about. Huang is isolating for seven days but will attend meetings virtually. She will also continue the nightly review meetings with district-level care centers.

Chen Chih-han, Spokesperson, Taipei City Government: “Deputy Mayor Huang notified the mayor during this morning's meeting that she took a rapid test after feeling itchiness in her throat and that it came back positive. The mayor also took a rapid test immediately after the meeting ended, which was negative. The mayor and deputy mayor will in principle hold meetings online. During past meetings, they wore masks the entire time and maintained social distancing.”

Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je has tested negative. Meanwhile, Transportation and Communications Minister Wang Kwo-tsai started isolating on May 11 after someone in his household tested positive. The result of Wang's PCR test is pending. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications said Wang tested negative in a rapid test and his schedule for May 11 has been canceled. A meeting with a Taiwan Railways union on May 13 may be postponed. The epidemic situation continues worsening, and National Taiwan University's College of Public Health said Taiwan's case curve is similar to that of New Zealand and a comparison shows that Taiwan will now be entering the so-called "Omicron adaptation period."

Chen Hsiu-hsi, Professor, College of Public Health, NTU: “The number of cases will start descending after a period of time in this adaptation period. During this time, decision making, medical treatment providers, and the public will achieve a so-called adaptive epidemic curve, which will be in line with the so-called endemic influenza in the world in the future.”

Hung Tzu-jen, Deputy Superintendent, Shin Kong Memorial Hospital: “We should set aside some PCR testing capacity for high-risk groups and people aged 65 and older. As soon as they develop symptoms, they can take a PCR test so they can get medication promptly.”

Medical professionals say the international experience shows that triaging mild and severe cases is needed to reduce the mortality rate of high-risk individuals during the peak Omicron period. Meanwhile, the experience in Israel shows people aged 60 and above can get a fourth vaccine dose to reduce the risk of developing severe symptoms by fourfold.

10日週二才前往木柵機廠，視察「防疫急門診」試營運，台北市副市長黃珊珊11日上午在臉書揭露，自己快篩陽性，她表示，做防疫工作兩年多，終於真的跟這病毒共存了，她形容自己見到這「朝思暮想的敵人」，接下來七天雖然被隔離，但是每天還是會上線開會，每天晚上跟區級關懷中心的檢討會報也不會停。

台北市府發言人陳智菡提到：「黃副市長是在今天晨會的時間，主動通報市長說她因為喉嚨有點癢癢的，所以去做了快篩，那麼結果是陽性的，市長在晨會結束之後也隨即做了快篩，結果是陰性，市長跟副市長現在原則上會議都是以視訊的方式來進行，有見面的時間也都是全程配戴口罩，而且保持社交距離。」

北市府表示，市長柯文哲目前快篩為陰性，正常辦公。另外，交通部長王國材11日上午因為同住家人快篩陽性，等待PCR結果，即日起先開始居家隔離。交通部表示，王國材目前快篩為陰性，原定11日前往新竹交通委員會考察行程取消，原定13日週五與台鐵工會協商也可能延期，本土疫情邁入高峰，台大公衛學院分析，台灣的病例數上升曲線，與紐西蘭很類似，若平行比對接下來就要進入所謂的「Omicron的適應期」。

台大公衛學院教授陳秀熙表示：「這個適應期在一段時間之後，差不多就會開始下降，我們這時候，在決策、醫療供給者，以及民眾，三方一定會達到一個所謂的適應流行這樣的一個曲線，才會跟全世界未來所謂的地方性的流行的流感來做接軌。」

新光醫院副院長洪子仁說：「我們應該要把一些PCR的量能要留給一些，可能是這些高危族群跟65歲以上的長者，就是讓他們一旦有症狀的時候，能夠透過PCR快速的一個確認診斷之後，給予比較即時性的投藥。」

醫界呼籲，國際經驗是要確實做好輕重症分流，降低高危險族在Omicron大流行時期的死亡率，另外借鏡以色列經驗，60歲以上長者若施打第四劑，重症下降四倍，也是未來可以參考的防疫方向。