Taiwan’s strong 2020: Covid-19 success, investment gains and US support

Name: The places that successfully contained Covid-19 and why others are not following their lead
Uploaded: 2020-12-24T23:00:20.000Z
Duration: 7 min 7 s
Description: The places that successfully contained Covid-19 and why others are not following their lead

The island’s coronavirus containment measures paid off, giving it a platform to push its international profile and renew efforts to join the WHO

Businesses relocating from mainland China buoyed an economy that held up during the pandemic, while Washington approved arms sales and sent officials

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Windows of the Grand Hotel in Taipei were illuminated to form the word “zero” after Taiwan first reported no new Covid-19 cases for consecutive days in April. Photo: AFP

Lawrence Chung

Published: 7:00am, 25 Dec 2020Updated: 10:11am, 25 Dec 2020

Taiwan has had a fruitful 2020 diplomatically and economically while most of the world has been struggling with the Covid-19 pandemic, thanks to its closer ties with the United States and recognition for its virus control efforts.

With just seven deaths and 776 cases as of Wednesday, the self-ruled island has been recognised as one of the few global economies to have contained its coronavirus outbreak effectively. The pandemic had by then caused 77 million infections and 1.7 million deaths worldwide.

Relative success in controlling the outbreak has allowed the island’s people to enjoy a fairly normal life at a time when most parts of the world have been subjected to lockdowns and severe restrictions with infections rampant.

“Though I can’t go abroad, I can still go sightseeing at scenic spots in Taiwan, watch baseball and basketball games, and go with my friends to concerts, restaurants and parties,” David Lee, who teaches children English in Taipei, said. “I should be grateful, because we don’t have lockdowns here.”

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The places that successfully contained Covid-19 and why others are not following their lead

A swift response and strict border control by the authorities plus the cooperation of the public helped achieve what Lee has been enjoying, Taiwan’s Covid-19 statistics suggest.