TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) chief Victor Wang (王必勝) visited the island of Kinmen on Tuesday (Dec. 13) amid calls for the reopening of ferry links with China and worries about the hoarding of medicine.
While the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and politicians on the islands of Kinmen and Matsu close to China’s province of Fujian have been calling for the resumption of the travel links, officials have expressed concern about a resurgence of COVID-19 in China. A shortage of relevant drugs in China might also lead to hoarding by visitors if the ferries resume service.
Wang visited the only hospital and a pier on Kinmen Tuesday to inspect the island’s preparedness, the Liberty Times reported. Taiwanese business people working in China have also been clamoring for the reopening of the links to make it easier for them to return home during January’s Lunar New Year holiday.
The CECC chief emphasized the importance of monitoring the evolution of COVID in China before reaching a decision. Any new wave of virus cases imported from China might also put a serious strain on Kinmen’s limited health resources and influence healthcare for the local population, he said.
The Kinmen County Government said the resumption of direct links would evolve in three stages, first with humanitarian cases, relatives, new migrants, students, and patients seeking medical care being allowed to use the links. In a second phase, the ferries would transport Taiwanese business people, with a general opening to all types of travelers to be realized during a third phase, the county said.
