TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Thursday (Dec. 1) warned of three COVID hotspots in China, advised Taiwanese living in China to get vaccinated as soon as possible, and recommended high-risk individuals return to Taiwan for Lunar New Year early.

During the press conference, CECC Head Victor Wang (王必勝) said the three locations in China where COVID cases have intensified are Beijing, Chongqing, and Guangdong Province.

Wang said that the outbreak in Beijing has been heating up since mid-November, mainly caused by the BF.7 subvariant of Omicron. Over the past week, more than 26,000 new infections have been reported in Beijing, with Chaoyang District being the hardest-hit, while cases in neighboring Changping District are also on the rise.

Charts show progression of case numbers in Guangdong, Chongqing, and Beijing. (CECC image)

As for Chongqing, Wang said that the dominant subvariant is BA.5.2, with 55,000 cases reported over the past week, especially in the Central Chongqing and Liangping District.

Wang said that the outbreak in Guangdong Province is also primarily caused by BA.5.2, with more than 55,000 cases reported over the past week. He described the situation in Guangzhou as the most serious, with invisible transmission chains in the districts of Haizhu, Tianhe, and Panyu. He added that outbreaks have also occurred in Shenzhen and Dongguan.

The CECC head advised that Taiwanese who work, study, or otherwise reside in China follow three major steps to prepare for the new wave of cases. First, he called on all groups to get vaccinated, including receiving available boosters.

Map lists number of cases, subvariants in Beijing, Chongqing, and Guangdong. (CECC image)

Second, he said that Taiwanese expatriates should pay extra attention to the health status of the elderly and children living with them. Third, Wang suggested that Taiwanese store up medication for chronic diseases and devise plans for how to acquire urgent medical care in the event of an emergency.

Wang emphasized that if Taiwanese living in China have difficulty evaluating how they would gain access to medical resources if they became infected, they could consider returning to Taiwan in advance. He also urged Taiwanese who are planning to go to China to get fully vaccinated before going.

When asked by a member of the media whether the CECC has any official guidelines for Taiwanese businesspeople planning to return to Taiwan, Wang said that there are no special advisories. He said they are not required to be fully vaccinated before returning to Taiwan and when they arrive, they need only follow the standard "0+7" formula of seven days of self-health monitoring.