Taiwan – one confirmed community infection of new corona - since April

A few days ago CNN.co.jp reported the following:

台湾、新型コロナの市中感染を確認　４月以来

2020.12.22 Tue posted at 19:01 JST

香港（ＣＮＮ） 台湾の保健当局は２２日、新型コロナウイルスの新たな感染者が１人確認されたと発表した。台湾の中での感染が確認されるのは４月以来、２５５日ぶり。

当局の発表によると、感染が確認されたのは３０代の女性。陽性反応を示した外国人パイロットと、今月８日から１０日までの間に接触していた。

台湾で４月１２日以降に確認された感染者は全員、域外からの渡航者だった。台湾に入る渡航者には隔離が義務付けられ、陽性者は隔離病棟で治療を受けることになっている。今月２２日には域外から入った３人の感染も確認され、累計の感染者は７７０人になった。

台湾は迅速な対応で感染を収束させた例として知られてきた。

新型ウイルスが最初に見つかった武漢からの直行便に対しては、昨年１２月３１日に乗客の検疫を開始。１月２１日に台湾初の感染者が確認されたことを受けて武漢からの入境を禁止し、中国本土と香港、マカオからの渡航者も検疫対象とした。

３月からは外交官らを除く全ての外国人の入境を禁止した。こうした措置と並行して接触追跡を徹底し、検査体制を強化した。

台湾で感染対策のルールを破った場合は厳しく処罰される。今月初めには、フィリピンからの出稼ぎ労働者が隔離中のホテルで８秒間だけ自室から出たとして、約３６万円の罰金を科された。

Translation

Hong Kong (CNN) - Taiwanese health officials announced on the 22nd that a person was newly infected with the new coronavirus was confirmed. It was the first time in 255 days since April that an infection was confirmed in Taiwan.

Officials said that a woman in her thirties was confirmed to be infected. She had been in contact with a foreign pilot who was tested positive between the 8th and 10th of this month.

All infected persons confirmed after April 12 in Taiwan were travelers from the outside region. Travelers entering Taiwan were required to be quarantined, and those tested positives were to be treated in a quarantine ward. On the 22nd of this month, three people from outside regions were confirmed to be infected, bringing the total number of infected people to 770.

Taiwan had been known as an example of a quick response to control the infection.

Passenger quarantine began on December 31st last year for direct flights from Wuhan where the new virus was first found. Following the confirmation of Taiwan's first infected person on January 21, entry from Wuhan was banned, and also travelers from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau were targeted for quarantine.

From March, all foreigners except diplomats were banned from entering Taiwan. In parallel with these measures, a thorough contact tracking was carried out and its monitoring system was strengthened.

In Taiwan if anyone broke the rules on infection control, severe punished would be handed down. Earlier this month, a migrant worker from the Philippines was fined about 360,000 yen for leaving the room for just eight seconds during quarantine in a hotel.

              So, Taiwan is a good example on how to control the spread of Covid-19. It demonstrates an alternative way to deal with the pandemic without the need for a total city lockdown that is practiced in mainland China.