Are border controls expected to be lifted? Vaccine coverage key? Experts reveal the direction of epidemic prevention after the "plain period"
Starting from August 15, PCR-free entry will be allowed! Is there “0+7” as the next step in border unblocking?
As the borders of various countries gradually open up, the Epidemic Command Center recently announced that starting from August 15, the requirement to hold a PCR certificate two days before taking a flight will be lifted, but tourist visas for tour groups or foreign tourists will not be relaxed for the time being. As for when the entry quarantine will be relaxed to “0+7”, it has also attracted much attention from the public.
Dr. Qiu Zhengxun, deputy director of Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, pointed out that it is difficult to estimate the time when the border will be relaxed to “0+7” because the local epidemic has entered the “plain phase” and the number of new confirmed cases every day is still about 20,000. Although the “Rt value” in the past week is 0.97 (less than 1 means the epidemic is slowing down), and the number of cases is on a downward trend, a certain degree of epidemic prevention capacity still needs to be maintained.
Dr. Qiu Zhengxun said that although border control measures are gradually loosened, the general direction of the quarantine policy has not changed. Passengers entering the country are still required to undergo deep throat saliva screening, as well as 3 days of home quarantine and 4 days of self-management (3+4), which is enough Adopt appropriate controls on incoming passengers to prevent the rapid expansion of the BA.4 and BA.5 epidemics.
“After countries have opened their borders, the epidemic situation in Japan, South Korea, Singapore and other countries is still on the rise, not to mention Europe and the United States. Therefore, before the plain period slows down significantly, border control measures are still necessary.” Qiu Zhengxun The doctor said.
Will BA.5 make the “plain period” last longer? Expert: “Vaccine coverage rate” determines the direction of the epidemic
Dr. Qiu Zhengxun said that BA.4 and BA.5 are gradually entering Taiwan from abroad and have entered the community, which may prolong the “plain period” even longer. At present, there are still about 20,000 new cases every day, and about 1-2 people under the age of 12 are seriously ill every day, causing “multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children” (MIS-C). We cannot take it lightly just because the epidemic is slowing down.
“At present, the vaccine coverage rate for the two major groups of elderly people over 65 years old and children aged 5-12 years is still low compared with advanced countries. Therefore, the top priority is still to vaccinate as soon as possible!”
Dr. Qiu Zhengxun said that the vaccine for children aged 6 months to 5 years old has recently been promoted, and parents should actively accompany their children to receive the vaccine as soon as possible. Currently, two children’s vaccines, BNT and Moderna, have been certified by the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration and Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare Advisory Committee on Infectious Disease Control and Prevention (ACIP), and the BNT vaccine is about to arrive. Dr. Qiu Zhengxun emphasized that both vaccines have received emergency authorization from the FDA and have clinical trials to prove their effectiveness. It is recommended that you do not need to choose a brand, but take the vaccine first if it is available.
Finally, Dr. Qiu Zhengxun said that through the increase in vaccine coverage and Taiwanese people’s compliance with “public health and epidemic prevention measures” (NPI), such as washing hands, wearing masks, and maintaining social distance, he believes that the plain period will soon pass. He also called on Taiwanese people continue to maintain epidemic prevention measures and weather this severe epidemic caused by Omicron.
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