Taiwan allows testing for high-risk workers with COVID symptoms

Taiwan has widened COVID testing to cover people in high-risk occupations, such as food delivery or department store sales. Doctors can now order tests for high-risk workers who report COVID symptoms like a fever or respiratory distress. The change comes as Taiwan sees a resurgence in COVID cases that''s fueling fears of community transmission. Delivery workers spend their day out and about, facing elevated coronavirus risk. The CECC is now allowing testing for people with COVID symptoms, if they are high-risk workers like couriers and department store staff, or the close contacts of recent arrivals. Tests will need to be ordered by a doctor after a physical evaluation. The CECC has also added “diarrhea of unknown cause” to the list of COVID symptoms. The move comes as the pandemic continues to grow, and as reports emerge of Taiwan exporting COVID cases to other countries. Although some of those cases were ruled out as Taiwan exports, virus fears are intensifying within the country. Huang Li-min NTU Hospital pediatrician So this is a big warning sign. It means that within the community, the virus is spreading slowly. This is the start of the next wave of rapid COVID spread. If you don’t do something now, it’ll be very dangerous later on. Right now our policies are moving toward widening COVID screening. In terms of how this epidemic is developing, that’s the correct direction to be taking. Dr. Huang Li-min says airports could see a major breach in epidemic defense if inbound travelers fail to report their symptoms. He said widening universal testing would help minimize the risk of community spread.