CECC Should Be Disbanded: KMT 邊境開放 在野立委:疫情指揮中心應解散

There have been calls to disband the Central Epidemic Command Center as Taiwan's border restrictions will be lifted in October. Premier Su Tseng-chang said the CECC is still needed to observe changes to the epidemic situation.

Taiwan's border restrictions for COVID-19 will be lifted on Oct. 13. Su Ih-jen, the former CDC Director-General, said that this means that the Central Epidemic Command Center is no longer needed. If the epidemic situation does not change much at the end of October, it can be dissolved. He also suggested that COVID-19 can be downgraded from the fifth category of statutory infectious diseases to the fourth category of monitoring. Opposition legislators believed that since the country is now moving towards self-monitoring of citizens, there's no need for a CECC commander and suggested disbanding it.

Tseng Ming-chung, Legislator (KMT): “A boring press conference every day at 2 p.m. The KMT strongly recommends quickly disbanding the CECC and letting things work according to the current mechanism.”

Hsu Chih-chieh, Legislator (DPP): “As regulations are lifted to some extent, they don't need a press conference to report every day. This is the direction we wish to be headed.”

Regarding the opinions of experts and legislators, Premier Su Tseng-chang said that there is still a mask order and regulations, and changes in the epidemic still must be closely monitored.

Su Tseng-chang, Premier: “There are still guidelines for wearing masks. And we must continue to observe the changes in the epidemic situation. The CECC still has work to do right now.”

Hsueh Jui-yuan, Minister of Health and Welfare: “The domestic epidemic has not reached its peak. So the CECC still has a lot to do. It might not be disbanded so soon.”

Hsueh said experts' responsibility is small, but the government's responsibility is large. In the future, the CECC will be downgraded in stages, and not be disbanded at one time. Even if COVID is downgraded from category five to four, the CECC's disbandment will still depend on COVID's international and domestic situation.

10月13日開國門實施邊境解封，前疾管局長蘇益仁表示，這代表指揮中心已沒有設置的必要，10月底疫情若沒有太大變化就可以解散，並建議可將新冠肺炎從第5類法定傳染病降為第4類監測；在野黨立委也認為，目前已走向自主防疫不需要指揮官，建議解散。

國民黨立委曾銘宗表示：「2點開一個無聊的記者會，所以國民黨團強烈建議撤掉，趕快撤掉指揮中心，讓很多事情回歸，依現行機制運作就可以。」

民進黨立委許智傑認為：「開放到某種程度就可以不用每天再報告，這個是我們希望說，大概這個方向不要拖太久。」

對於專家和立委的意見，行政院長蘇貞昌則表示，現在仍有口罩令規範，還要持續觀察疫情變化。

行政院長蘇貞昌回應：「不過現在還是有口罩的相關配戴規範，以及還要持續觀察疫情的變化等等，指揮中心目前還是有責任在。」

衛福部長薛瑞元則說明：「但是國內的部分的話，疫情還不是說已經到了冰點，所以指揮中心還有很多事情要做，那可能還沒有那麼快就退場。」

薛瑞元表示，專家責任小，政府責任大，未來仍指揮中心降級也是2級、3級降下來，不會一次解散；至於新冠肺炎未來若第5類改成第4類，第4類之後仍要看國際情勢和國內疫情發展再做決定。