Expert Dismisses Concerns About Resurgence 疫情再起? 專家稱第3劑涵蓋率72%免擔憂

Border restrictions will be completely lifted on Oct. 13 but there are concerns that the domestic epidemic situation will worsen.

The first step in reopening Taiwan's borders took effect on Sept. 29. The Executive Yuan also announced that the next step will be implemented on Oct. 13. Starting on that day, quarantine will no longer be required for inbound travelers, but there will still be a seven-day self-initiated epidemic prevention period.

Lo Ping-cheng, Minister without Portfolio & Executive Yuan Spokesperson: “We'll further relax border controls on Oct. 13 and officially implement the "0+7" quarantine scheme for inbound travelers. The weekly cap will be 150,000 and visa exemption treatment will be fully restored. The ban on inbound tour groups will also be lifted.”

There are concerns that the domestic epidemic situation will worsen once the doors are opened. One expert says that returning to normal life requires going through labor pains in order to learn how to coexist with the virus. The third-dose vaccine coverage rate is already at 72 percent, so even if a new variant emerges, the number of new daily cases won't be higher than 50,000 in the future.

Lee Ping-ing, Member, Specialist Advisory Panel, CECC: “Sometimes the number of new daily cases surpasses 50,000. It's not something that can't happen. However, generally speaking, we don't anticipate it to surge soon during this time.”

The domestic situation is still in a plateau period. A grassroots clinic doctor discovered that cases of COVID-19 and flu are both on the rise. Some people are experiencing respiratory symptoms, but test negative for COVID-19 and positive for the flu.

Lu Yuan-chang, Doctor: “They test negative in rapid tests for COVID-19 and I think their symptoms are very similar to flu, so I test them for that and it's confirmed that they have Type A influenza.”

The government-funded flu vaccine campaign will kick off on Oct. 1 and will be implemented in two stages. The CECC says people can get the flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time as long as they are administered in different limbs. Meanwhile, Novavax vaccines will be available starting on Sept. 30, including for teenagers aged 12 to 17. Starting on Oct. 3, medical personnel, workers at airports and ports of entry, flight crews, and border disease prevention personnel will be eligible to receive Moderna's second-generation vaccine. Twelve weeks must have passed since their previous dose.

我國邊境解封第1階段將於29日週四上路，行政院院會也正式公布，第2階段邊境管制將從10月13日起實施，放寬入境旅客免隔離，改為7天自主防疫。

行政院政務委員兼發言人羅秉成說明：「10月13日起將再擴大國境開放，正式實施入境免居隔0+7，每週入境人數15萬人次，並開放非免簽證國家入境，入境觀光也取消禁團令等。」

不過外界擔憂，國門打開後新冠疫情可能再起。對此有專家表示，要回歸正常生活都需要經歷與病毒共存的陣痛期，所幸國人第3劑疫苗涵蓋率已達7成2，即使有新變種病毒入侵，未來單日確診數最多只有5萬多例。

指揮中心專家諮詢小組委員李秉穎認為：「每一天的確診數有時候增加到5萬以上，也不是不可能發生的事情，但是我們不預期說它會在最近這段時間大幅上升。」

本土疫情仍處高原期，有基層診所醫師發現，近期不只新冠確診病人多，流感疫情也蠢蠢欲動，有些病人出現發燒或咳嗽等呼吸道症狀，但新冠快篩卻是陰性，到診所進行流感快篩才呈現陽性。

基層診所醫師羅源彰指出：「新冠都篩檢陰性，我也覺得他症狀就是非常的像，想說乾脆幫他篩檢流感快篩，那快篩流感就真的是A型流感。」

為提升民眾保護力，今年公費流感疫苗將從本週六10月1日起分2階段開打，指揮中心強調，流感與新冠疫苗可同時接種在不同部位，不需要間隔；另外Novavax疫苗也從本週五30日開打，並開放12到17歲青少年接種；下週一10月3日則是開放第2階段對象追加接種莫德納次世代疫苗，包括醫事人員、機場港埠及機組員等邊境防疫人員等4類人員，只要和上一劑疫苗間隔12週都可施打。