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Asia Minute: Taiwan Faces Increasing Community Spread of COVID-19

AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying

While COVID-19 cases are declining in most of the United States, they’re on the rise in parts of East Asia. And now that includes one place that’s had a lot of success in dealing with the coronavirus: Taiwan.

The state of the pandemic is relative. The virus is burning across India with a reported daily death toll averaging nearly 4,000 in the past week. Though health officials believe the real toll is much higher.

By contrast, Taiwan has suffered only a dozen COVID-19 deaths overall and fewer than 1300 cases.

But new cases there are rising and health officials report at least three clusters, along with more than 40 cases of community spread in less than three weeks.

That’s led to a series of restrictions: no hospital visits, no large gatherings--no school field trips.

Graduation ceremonies are on hold and so are concerts and exhibitions.

Taiwan’s premier said Tuesday, “We are getting more relaxed or careless as time goes by.” Adding, “I urge everyone to take the new outbreak seriously.”

China Airlines, Taiwan’s largest, has quarantined all its pilots for two weeks following a cluster infecting at least eight pilots, a flight attendant and family members.

While the immediate focus is on preserving public health, there may be other impacts.

China Airlines says the pilot quarantine may affect its freight operations, including the exports of semiconductors, at a time when the world is in the midst of a severe shortage.

Bill Dorman has been the news director at Hawaiʻi Public Radio since 2011.
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