Last modified on Mon 17 May 2021 06.13 EDT
A worsening coronavirus outbreak in Taiwan has raised urgent questions about how the virus slipped past Taiwanâs âgold standardâ defences, and if the country can quickly return to a zero-Covid life.
In 2020, the island state of 24 million people was producing extraordinary numbers: fewer than 1,000 cases, about 90% of them detected in recent arrivals, zero infection leaks from quarantine, a death toll of 12, and 253 days without a single local case.
On Friday, the numbers turned when health authorities reported 29 local cases, followed by 180 on Saturday, 206 on Sunday, and 333 on Monday. Most are in the north, with large clusters in Taipei city and New Taipei city, where testing stations have reported 10% positivity rates. About 91% of Taiwanâs total local caseload has come in the past four days.
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