The COVID-19 pandemic is keeping much of the world under lockdown, but in Taiwan it’s still business as usual. Still, what if the outbreak here were to worsen? The central government isn’t taking chances. It’s planning talks with local officials this week on a unified plan of action for a worst-case scenario.
Taiwan has been spared the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that’s not a matter of luck. Early, decisive government action has kept the number of cases low and made it so that people can still move around freely. But officials know that things could always get worse, and they are making sure they are prepared, just in case.
Local officials have already made contingency plans. In New Taipei, Mayor Hou You-yi ordered a simulated 21-day lockdown. Next door, in Taipei itself, Deputy Mayor Huang Shan-shan says that a similar drill is being planned, with experts set to look for gaps in the city’s preparations. And in Yilan County, health authorities say they will implement a lockdown if the number of local cases hits 186.
The central government, for its part, is also keeping up its guard. It’s defined three levels of severity and come up with response measures for each. The outbreak in Taiwan is now at level one. In level two, restrictions come into place, while stage three will bring a total lockdown.
Now, the central government hopes to unify this patchwork of local responses. It plans to talk with local officials and hammer out a written set of guidelines this week.