Government's Classification of COVID Cases Violates Laws? 確診定義分「輕.中重症」 疑有違法疑慮

As of March 20, only people with moderate-to-severe cases of COVID-19 that require hospitalization will be required to report their infection to the government. Many say the government is violating laws. Health and Welfare Minister Hsueh Jui-yuan, meanwhile, says COVID-19 treatment will no longer be free in the near future.

Starting March 20, people with mild cases of COVID-19 will no longer be required to quarantine or report their infection to the government. Infections will only be recognized as "Category 5" if a patient has to be hospitalized or dies after developing respiratory tract symptoms, pneumonia, or other complications, or requires oxygen therapy. The National Labor Insurance Association, meanwhile, said only customers that are hospitalized or die of "pneumonia complications" will be eligible for a payout after March 20. Many say the government's decision to categorize COVID-19 cases as "mild" or "moderate to severe" is illegal.

Hsueh Jui-yuan, Health and Welfare Minister: “Only moderate-to-severe flu cases have to report their status to the government. If reporting is not required, it's not a legally designated communicable disease. People (with mild symptoms) will be regarded as general patients of general diseases.”

Hsueh Jui-yuan says all COVID-19 treatment costs will now be the responsibility of the National Health Insurance Administration, although certain antivirals may still be free for a short time. Some lawmakers say it's time for the Central Epidemic Command Center to close so that citizens can go back to their normal lives.

Lai Hui-yuan, Legislator (DPP): “The daily cause count is still around 10,000. If people with mild symptoms no longer need to report their status to the government, the case count could go down to a few hundred. If that's the case, when will your Central Epidemic Command Center shut down?”
Hsueh Jui-yuan, Health and Welfare Minister: “We don't have a timetable. It will happen when (COVID-19) is downgraded from a Category 5 to Category 4 communicable disease.”
 
Hsueh says relevant laws still have to be revised to downgrade COVID-19 to a Category 4 disease and the CECC won't be disbanded or demoted until then.

新冠肺炎輕症免通報隔離，預計3月20日上路，並同步調整通報定義，感染後有呼吸道症狀，出現肺炎、需氧氣治療或其他併發症，因而住院或死亡者，才會被認定是第5類法定傳染病。而產險公會也宣布，新制上路後，只有符合「肺炎併發症」且「住院或死亡」兩要件，才可獲得防疫理賠險。不過外界質疑，把疾病確診定義區分為輕症和中重症，似乎有違法疑慮。

衛福部長薛瑞元說明：「流感只有中重症才需要做通報，不需要通報，它就不是法定傳染病。那（輕症）確診是算其他的，就是說跟一般的疾病的診斷一樣。」

薛瑞元表示，新冠輕症的相關治療費用將回歸健保，但是像抗病毒藥物等支出，短時間內仍由公費給付。由於本土疫情持續降溫，有立委認為，疫情指揮中心應儘早退場，讓民眾回歸正常生活。

民進黨立委賴惠員提問：「現在還是就是1萬例以下，如果輕症又不用通報了，你可能只會剩下幾百例。那這樣子的話，什麼時候你的指揮中心要退場？」

衛福部長薛瑞元回應：「目前還沒有確切的時間表，《傳染病防治法》5類改4類那個時候，指揮中心才會退。」

薛瑞元強調，目前是疫情收尾階段，後續還要修改《傳染病防治法》，將新冠肺炎從第5類改為第4類，到時候指揮中心才有可能考慮解編，或是降級開設。