Taiwan will provide five free rapid test kits to citizens aged 65 and above starting next month as the country is expecting an imminent surge in new COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron BA.5 subvariant, the Executive Yuan said on Thursday.
Citing Premier Su Tseng-chang (???) in a press briefing, Cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-chen (???) said that while Taiwan was relaxing its border controls — having raised the limit on weekly arrivals from 40,000 to 50,000 people on Aug. 22 — the government has been paying close attention to the virus’s development due to the growing prevalence of the Omicron BA.5 subvariant around the world.
He added that the number of new BA.5 subvariant cases had increased by 7.7 percent across Taiwan in a week, with northern parts of the country registering more new cases.
In the face of the potential threat, the government is targeting the senior population — nearly 4 million citizens — by providing them with five free rapid test kits each from Sept. 1, which they can pick up at over 4,600 pharmacies and public health centers around the country, Lo said.
According to Lo, Su urged people who are above 50 and have received one booster shot at least five months ago to receive a second booster, while asking staff and residents at nursing homes to get the government-funded rapid tests that are being offered through the end of September.
Su also noted a new policy for colleges and universities, according to Lo. Whenever there is a new reported case, the school will offer the class rapid tests, and those who test negative and have no symptoms will not need to be quarantined.
The Central Epidemic Control Center will make sure there are sufficient quarantine hotels and adjust Taiwan’s border controls policy on a rolling basis, Su was quoted as saying.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel