And 18 people have presumably been tossed into the “Cooler” for 14 days or whatever it is there for failing what seems to be botched tests. I have made a note not to visit the joint, lest I fail to pass some test or other and get held in Duterte’s ‘free board and lodging’.
The very smart people in charge are never going to panic and lockdown, so we’re fine. I’m just glad we have such smart people calling the shots.
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Wonder how many are from amplicon contamination in the lab, it’s important to run these tests properly otherwise you end up amplifying DNA from previous positives stuck to stuff in the lab, the vials, the pipettes , the machine . One of the operators could be positive and amplifying their own DNA.
Does not instill confidence in their testing regime !
From my contacts in the underbelly of teaching, every breathing half standing warm body of foreign persuasion should be able to land a job.
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Seems some people are afraid of the competition…that is not there. They see Taiwan as the mall in Dawn of the Dead.
Yes,. Outside of Taiwan the forecast is grim and sure, IF they knew about Taiwan, coming here would be tempting.
It ain’t happening.
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It takes a certain amount of courage, initiative, and flexibility to pack up and move to another country with a vastly different language and culture. If many Americans can’t be arsed to simply wear a mask during a pandemic, I can’t see them enduring what’s required to emigrate.
I say this as an American, an American who is continually stunned at the attitude and actions of so many of my compatriots.
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Minor changes coming for testing arrivals from the Philippines. All such persons will still need to be tested before the end of their quarantine.
Guy
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One more imported case reported today:
Guy
Penny pinching numbskulls! More tests before, during, and after quarantine would be better, not less. I would rather my tax dollars be used for COVID testing (since positive results from asymptomatic individuals have been found through airport screening). Take money from the wasteful “foreign English teacher” recruitment program (which is unsustainable bologna anyways). Taiwan’s luck may not last for long.
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I don’t have any insider account of this policy switch. But I believe they have determined that asymptomatic arrivals from the Philippines who then go into government quarantine for 14 days and then also go through testing are not a health risk.
Symptomatic arrivals from the Philippines get tested at arrival.
Guy
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Any thoughts on the idea that the success of Taiwan’s COVID protocol may be due to the 14 day quarantine rather than testing, which still has a daily high false negative rate depending on (generally unknown) time since exposure?
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The authorities in Taiwan seem to generally agree with your assessment, as they have:
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repeatedly held off mass testing (which they view as a waste of resources and, with the inevitable false positives, a burden on the medical system which would need to isolate all these cases including the false positives); and
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continued to insist on the 14 day quarantine for (nearly) all arrivals, and publicly shaming and fining those who don’t comply.
The exception to the quarantine rule seems to be the diplomatic corps and visiting dignitaries. It’d be interesting to see what sorts of counter measures the authorities have taken with these exceptions.
Guy
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Lots and lots of disinfectant.
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Which company or family (for domestic helpers) is going to foot a 14 day quarantine bill?
What “luck” are we talking about here? Once again the system worked; testing at the start and end of quarantine. The second test picked up that the guy was positive.
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Do they?
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As of September 24, asymptomatic arrivals from the Philippines are no longer tested upon arrival, but are tested near the end of their 14 day quarantine.
The “testing at the start” seems to refer to an arrival from the Philippines that landed in Taiwan before September 24.
Guy
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Seems like Taiwan is not the best place to be in the world right now. Switzerland in number one, and even Germany, Austria, Australia, Japan and China are better places to be than Taiwan.
SRSLY? And what’s up with that flag? And that asterisk?
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That’s a fake news website run by a bunch of fake experts. They self-promote on social media all the time.
Yep, seems like not a company universally accepted as a reliable source. Example: https://www.timesofisrael.com/amid-crackdown-on-fake-news-netanyahus-own-facebook-posts-rapped-as-misleading/