Taiwan considers revising quarantine rules for elections

TAIPEI (TVBS News) — With the nine-in-one elections slated in November in Taiwan, the Central Election Commission has come under fire for hinting that people under quarantine on election day won't be able to cast their ballots.

Many Taiwanese people have since lashed at the commission for allegedly denying their right to vote. In response to critics, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said it is trying to come up with new ways to circumvent this issue.

According to the CECC, one of two ways to do so is to consider shortening the quarantine period for those who test positive from 7 days of quarantine plus 7 days of self-health management to 3 plus 4. Another possible way is to revise reporting standards, meaning only those with severe symptoms may be required to report testing positive for COVID.

The health minister has not promised that the revisions will unfold in time for the elections, as the number of COVID cases in Taiwan has only just dropped from its high peak of nearly 40,000 new cases daily.

As Taiwan's COVID daily tally gradually stabilizes, health experts have also proposed that the reporting of the COVID outbreak could also see some updates. Against this backdrop, Dr. Lee Chien-chang from the National Taiwan University Hospital suggested that infection cases should be tallied individually according to counties and cities in the future.

Although the number of Taiwan's current daily COVID cases has gradually decreased, the death rate continues to climb at an alarming rate. Therefore, more monitoring and quarantine regulations may still need to be in effect for days to come.