OPINION
As we brace for COVID’s second wave, some simple lessons from Taiwan and South Korea
By JOSEPH WONG JUNE 15, 2020
Our economies cannot withstand another lockdown. We need to look to Taiwan and Korea for leadership, as we await and prepare for the next COVID-19 wave and future pandemics.
A pedestrian crosses an almost empty O'Connor Street in downtown Ottawa on May 14, 2020. As the world braces for a second wave of disease—expected by epidemiologists around the world—what lessons can we learn from Taiwan and South Korea? Clear and consistent communication by the government was critical, writes Joseph Tang.
Taiwan and South Korea successfully managed the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, stemming the spread of the coronavirus and minimizing the number of deaths, all the while keeping their economies running. To date, there have been more than 11,000 confirmed COVID cases in Korea, though fewer than 300 deaths. Taiwan has recorded fewer than 500 COVID cases and just seven deaths.
Neither government imposed a lockdown. During the pandemic, businesses continued to operate and people continued to work, albeit socially distanced and wearing face masks. Their economies have taken a hit, as the entire global economy slows, but their paths to recovery will be much less painful and they are already well on their way.
As the world braces for a second wave of disease—expected by epidemiologists around the world—what lessons can we learn from Taiwan and South Korea?
Clear and consistent communication by the government was critical. Information about COVID, viral transmission, and how to mitigate the risks of becoming infected was conveyed clearly and consistently. People were encouraged to socially distance and wear face masks. Health authorities provided daily reports through various media channels, especially on social media. Politicians did not contradict the health authorities. This was unlike in the U.K., where government leaders initially discussed the idea of herd immunity and then later dismissed it; or the U.S. where President Donald Trump was at odds with his own scientific advisors; or in Brazil where President Balsonaro downplayed the seriousness of the coronavirus.
The governments in Taiwan and South Korea also responded swiftly to the emerging pandemic. Just days after China confirmed the first case in Wuhan, immigration authorities in Taiwan implemented health screening measures for all travellers from that region. Local manufacturers immediately accelerated face mask production. The government, working with local retailers and civil society groups, launched innovative mobile apps to ration the distribution of masks.
Korea’s government responded quickly too, rapidly ramping-up testing capacity. Collaborating with local health technology firms, the government fast-tracked approvals for testing kits and coordinated rapid scale-up in manufacturing. The government opened six hundred testing sites, including drive-through facilities. With an ample supply of testing kits, anybody, even those not presenting COVID symptoms, could be tested. By the end of February, Korea had already conducted 100,000 tests; in comparison, the U.S. had recorded 3,000.
Early coordinated responses by the Taiwan and Korean governments were critical to combating COVID-19. The spread of virus is fast, and a delay of a few days can make a difference. Recent data from The New York Times shows that had the U.S. health authorities responded earlier, tens of thousands of COVID-related deaths could have been avoided.
Swift responses by the Taiwan and Korean governments also allowed them to implement effective quarantining and tracing strategies. By acting early, health authorities had more options. Waiting too long, as we have seen in other countries around the world, narrows the range of options and reduces their effectiveness. That the U.S. is currently leading the world in COVID testing, despite President Trump’s boasting, is less a reflection of its capacity to respond to the pandemic than an admission of its lateness and ineffectiveness in responding to the crisis.
The Taiwan government implemented a strict quarantine system, aimed at those who were symptomatic or had recently arrived from a virus hotspot. Employing a “digital fence” around those in quarantine, health authorities tracked the movement of people to ensure they remained in self-isolation. Using Taiwan’s national health insurance database, cross-referenced with immigration data, health authorities followed-up with potential patients. The government provided a daily quarantine subsidy.
Leveraging Korea’s extraordinary COVID testing capacity, health authorities quickly identified positive cases. The government employed mobile technologies to help in contact tracing, especially cashless payment and credit card data, as well as patient recall, to trace and alert people to possible transmission.
Taiwan and Korea were prepared. The memories and trauma of SARS in Taiwan in 2003 and MERS in Korea in 2015 ensured the governments were ready for the next pandemic. Similarly, we in Canada, and the rest of the world, have to be prepared for the next wave of the pandemic. We have no excuses. The trauma of COVID-19 is fresh in our minds, and there are countries we can emulate.
Taiwan and Korea successfully combatted COVID by responding early, with clear, consistent and authoritative information. The lessons are replicable. Moreover, the Taiwan and Korean COVID-19 playbook is repeatable. They did not impose any significant lockdowns, because they responded quickly. Lockdowns, and the economic pains that they bring, are neither sustainable nor repeatable. They are at best, last-resort solutions, imposed when other options are no longer on the table.
Our economies cannot withstand another lockdown. We need to look to Taiwan and Korea for leadership, as we await and prepare for the next COVID-19 wave and future pandemics.
Joseph Wong is the University of Toronto’s vice-provost & associate vice-president, International Student Experience. He is also the Ralph and Roz Halbert professor of innovation at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, and a professor of political science.
The Hill Times
