Beating COVID-19, Taiwan: EP1
In the year 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic terrorized the world. In just a few months, the new SARS-CoV-2 virus spread to more than 180 countries and within a year, it had infected more than 80 million people and killed more than 1.7 million. Many countries and cities went into lockdown. Schools and businesses closed. Economies retracted. Taiwan, however, was able to see economic growth and did not order any lockdowns. People living there were able to lead a mostly normal life, visit family and friends, participate in marathons, go to the movies, school and work. In 2020, only seven people in Taiwan died from COVID. How has Taiwan been so successful in beating COVID-19? Veteran news presenter Grace Liao and public health expert Dr. Allen Lien looked at several key aspects of Taiwan’s epidemic prevention. They talked to experts and policymakers and uncovered that policies of border control, quarantine, contact tracing, hospital management, national health insurance, mask supply control, and the use of information communications technology and big data played the most critical roles in fighting the virus. Grace and Allen now share with the world Taiwan’s experience in how it has been beating COVID-19.
