News (1) to (6) / Reporter : Liu Lijun / Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA
News (1)
What did Singapore do right allowing the epidemic to 'cool down within two weeks'? Can Taiwan learn to achieve the same?
Taiwan is facing the biggest crisis since the covid outbreak while in Singapore, community infections also expanded at the end of April. The government urgently closed the city in mid-May and is expected to maintain it for one month. It will expand screening, close non-essential shops and schools, and prohibit groups of more than two people. Strictly controlling the flow of people's movement will be "effective in just two weeks".
According to expert analysis, because Singapore’s policy enforcement is relatively high, the rate of vaccination is also much higher than that of Taiwan, which has become the biggest key to controlling the epidemic.
News (2)
Singapore's ability to control the epidemic based on experience during the Circuit Breaker
In April 2020, when there were more than 1,000 confirmed cases in Singapore in a single day, the government launched a two-months blockade plan known as "Circuit Breaker", including closing non-essential shops and schools, implementing home offices, and banning gatherings. It took 5 months to suppress the epidemic, and in April 2021 the epidemic made a comeback. In addition to decisively shutting down the city, the Singaporean government also expanded the amount of screening tests and expanded the procurement of vaccines in just two weeks. Singapore has controlled the epidemic. What did Singapore do right allowing the epidemic to 'cool down within two weeks'? Can Taiwan learn to achieve the same?
Covid, which was thought to be contained, swept once again. On 14 May 2021, the number of confirmed cases in Singapore surged to 71 for seven consecutive days, and immediately ordered a one-month defensive mode from 16 May to 13 June 2021 under Phase II (Heightened Alert). All work at home, schools are closed, and prohibition of more than 2 people per gathering was effective in just two weeks, and the number of confirmed cases was declining, and the ban will be gradually unblocked in advance.
News (3)
Singapore's political system is much easier for Singapore to "lock down the city"
Zhou Baiqian, director of the Department of Thoracic Medicine, Peking Medical University, said, "Some PCR sequencing at the time found that B.1.617.2 is the key to the epidemic in Singapore in mid-May. Its spread rate is actually faster than that of B.1.1.7. Can a country’s lockdown effect be effective? First of all, we need to look at the country’s policy execution ability. Singapore has a special political system, so it is much easier for Singapore to lock down the city compared to Taiwan.”
In addition to offering a strict flow of people control, Singapore also follows the experience of 2020, expands the screening capacity, tracks the footprint, also sets up a medical care volunteer team, and centralizes the quarantine station. The triage of minor and severe cases is very reliable and has become an important key to stabilizing the epidemic.
News (4)
Taiwan's insufficient PCR tests compared to Singapore
Zhou Baiqian said, "The first key point is that Singapore has carried out the general screening design very early. In mid-May, the diagnosed manpower every day (screening). performed 88,000 PCR screenings, so 88,000 Compared with Taiwan, we only had more than 6,000 cases of PCR screening after 1,000 times. Even then, no matter how powerful it was in Taiwan, 18,132 cases were limited by the lack of PCR tests. At this time, we had many positive active cases during the quarantine process in the community."
Shi Xinru, director of the Emerging Virus Infection Research Center of Chang Gung University, said, "The most practical test is PCR, because we only have a quick screening that will miss some people who have no symptoms. The amount of virus is relatively low, so they use this method to block it in scientific testing, and the amount of their test is also sufficient. Besides, if they have some clusters, they immediately block and isolate them. The system is real and rigorous, which means that it is more rigorous.”
News (5)
Singapore's vaccination plan coverage is extensive
The most important point is that after strict control in Singapore, it is the vaccination plan and the expansion of vaccination coverage. The targets range from medical care, the elderly to adolescents over 12 years of age.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on 31 May 2021 said, "Many countries in Southeast Asia have not yet been vaccinated on a large scale. Even if the epidemic is well controlled in some places, such as Taiwan, Australia and Vietnam, the number of cases has surged recently."
Preventive measures have been effective, but now vaccines are the best solution to defend against new variant strains.
Professor Chen Xiuxi of the National Taiwan University School of Public Health said, "Why have we been hoping that between May and July, our country will be able to fight for vaccines as soon as possible? Singapore’s vaccine rate is still relatively fast in Asia, so in other words, their policy on vaccines may be due to their epidemic situation last year, so they can obtain vaccines faster.”
News (6)
Singapore's vaccination rate has broken 35% as of 1 June 2021
Zhou Baiqian, director of the Department of Thoracic Medicine, Peking Medical University, said, “Singapore was as early as the beginning of May, and the first dose of vaccination was already available. It’s 25% or more. According to the latest figures, Singapore’s vaccination rate has broken 35% as of 1 June."
Experts emphasized that in addition to Taiwan’s epidemic prevention strategy, screening should be expanded, and the people should also cooperate. But in the end, it still depends on vaccines to have a chance to stop the spread of the epidemic.
No comments:
Post a Comment