From the other side of the world.

I’m currently living in Taiwan teaching online. Some would like to say it’s part of China but many people from Taiwan think differently. Anyway, without getting into the politics, being situated so close to China I was at first quite worried. But the government and Taiwanese people have handled things very well. From when rumours started they implemented protocols. Not long after the virus broke out they suspended flights to and from Wuhan and enforced quarantine procedures for anyone coming from China.

Everybody, and I mean everyone, started to wear face masks, so they soon sold out, now the government rations them. People of all ages, form orderly queues on the times and dates their local pharmacy arranges face mask distribution. You go to shopping malls and restaurants and a member of staff greets you with a temperature scanner and hand spray. If you have a fever you can’t go in. From the outset, they have been very proactive and Taiwanese people say it’s because they learnt lessons from SARS twenty years ago. There have been no lockdowns or states of emergency.

Now the virus and panic has spread around the world but here people are going about their everyday lives, restaurants and coffee shops still open, transport is normal, supermarkets are stocked, schools are open.

Large events have been cancelled though and so far, at the time of writing this 53 people have been infected, with the death of 1 poor soul.

On the whole, I’m grateful the government took preventive measures immediately and the Taiwanese people followed.

We have to wait and see how it develops however, especially since I don’t think they could have anticipated the spread to Europe and US etc....the ferocity of the virus has taken many by surprise, so only time will tell.

Anyway just giving another perspective from the other side of the world.

Stay safe ya’ll.

x