Taiwan admits Covid-19 failures after victims’ families file compensation claims

Law suit from 12 families accuses authorities of being underprepared despite having more than a year with hardly any cases to prepare for a surge in cases

Central Epidemic Command Centre admits there were not enough tests when the virus started to sweep through the island

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Taiwan had initially contained the pandemic, but then faced a surge in cases. Photo: AP

Published: 6:12pm, 19 Nov 2021Updated: 6:12pm, 19 Nov 2021

The task force in charge of Taiwan’s Covid-19 response has acknowledged that the island could have done better in fighting the disease after 12 families that lost relatives to the pandemic filed a claim seeking financial compensation from the government.

The families allege that the authorities were underprepared despite having more than a year during which there were few cases, resulting in unnecessary deaths and suffering.

Taiwan managed to largely keep out the coronavirus for nearly a year and a half, with 1,199 cases and 12 deaths as of May 10. The virus then swept through the island, powered by the contagious Alpha variant, and it has now recorded 16,516 cases and 848 deaths.

Asked about the families’ claim, the Central Epidemic Command Centre said the island’s initial success in keeping the virus out resulted in there not being enough tests to detect Covid-19.

“Taiwan was effective in sealing its borders, but there is still space for improvement in its defences within its borders,” it said in a statement.

“Because the past pandemic control measures were appropriate, there was no need for large-scale Covid-19 tests, and because of this the surveillance system was not able to uncover asymptomatic carriers. In addition, the public’s willingness to get vaccinated was low.”