Part 1: Overall Epidemic Preparedness and Control in Tainan
Q1: How can I get Tainan City’s latest COVID-19 information?
A1:
- For foreigners who know Chinese:
- Live-streamed Press Conference: Please visit the Facebook page of Tainan City Mayor Huang Wei-che (https://www.facebook.com/taiwanweicher/) or Tainan Today (https://www.facebook.com/tainantoday/).
- COVID-19 Zone Information Webpage: Please visit the official website of Tainan City Government (https://www.tainan.gov.tw/News.aspx?n=28302) or the Bureau of Public Health (https://reurl.cc/yE1yd8 ).
- For foreigners who do not understand Chinese:
Tainan City Government has translated major announcements and epidemic information into both English and Japanese. Please access our English and Japanese websites for regular updates (English: https://www.tainan.gov.tw/en/ and Japanese: https://www.tainan.gov.tw/jp/ ).
Q2: Responding to if school shut down announced by the Ministry of Education, how can students continue to learn without interruption?
A2: If schools at all levels and public and private kindergartens nationwide have all suspended face-to-face classes, as well as educational institutions such as after-school care service centers and cram schools. Tainan City’s Bureau of Education has established an online learning hub (http://www2.tn.edu.tw/hlearning/) that offers both real-time learning resources (public live streaming courses), and non-real-time learning resources (provided by the three major text-book publishers and the five main micro-curriculums). The one-stop learning resource hub provides convenience and accessibility for all students to continue their education while staying safe and healthy. Teachers can also use the platform to offer their own courses for real-time distant learning.
For preschool and kindergarten children and for students with special needs, the Bureau of Education has curating suitable educational resources on its website, especially for preschool children and children with special needs: https://www.tn.edu.tw/Index.html.
As for online learning hardware, all schools must provide equipment and devices to students in need, so that all student can access these online educational resources. For students without internet access at home, they can temporarily go to school and use on-campus internet.
Q3: Where can I find COVID-19 testing station information?
A3: Tainan City is rapidly rolling out testing stations citywide. Testing station information are provided and updated on the Bureau of Public Health’s website: https://health.tainan.gov.tw/list.asp?nsub=A7C2B1.
The city government also makes public the trace information of confirmed cases. Anyone who had been at these reported locations around the indicated time and date for at least 15 minutes, and during which one did not practice social-distancing and mask-wearing, one can be categorized as “COVID-19 high-risk group” and qualify for testing. However, each testing station has a limited capacity of testing 50-individuals per day, please make sure to make a phone reservation before you go and get tested.
Tainan City government also advises citizens that if you are not part of the “high-risk group”, please do not rush to the testing station out of panic. Such behavior will not only create burden to the medical professionals but also increase risk of cluster infection.
Q4: What is the current pandemic situation in Tainan?
A4: Please visit Tainan City’s Public Health Bureau for updated information of the current pandemic situation: https://health.tainan.gov.tw/list.asp?nsub=A7C2A5
Q5: What are the heightened sanitization and disinfection measures taken in public places in Tainan?
A5: Tainan City Government has completed comprehensive disinfection measures at major public venues in Tainan, including train stations, underpasses, bus transit stations, and the High Speed Railway station. Disinfection areas also cover many outdoor areas and frequently-visited public sites, including chairs at transportation hubs, pedestrian sidewalks, and public restrooms. The city government has also notified public transportation businesses, major venue operators, and community management offices to thoroughly implement cleaning and disinfection measures and conduct self-management. Putting up signs to indicate the disinfection frequency and cleaning status is also very reassuring for the public, for example signs that read, “This area is fully disinfected.”
Q6: There are quite a number of overseas students studying in Tainan. What are some preventive measures to protect citizens and students?
A6: The city government provides guidance to universities and colleges in setting up single-occupant rooms with exterior windows, single-entry and single-exit pathways, traffic routes to separate different groups of people, and cleaning and waste disposal arrangements. Most students cannot afford staying in quarantine hotels; therefore, this arrangement addresses their needs. Once the Public Health Bureau inspects and approves of these dorms, schools can bring in foreign students in batches to stay at these quarantine school dorms. Schools must also regularly report the student numbers to the Public Health Bureau.
When the foreign students arrive, schools must help arrange the transportation service. During their quarantine period at these school dorms, schools must put in place 24-hour access control, and also arrange staff members to deliver meals and provide health-related care and support. If there are any medical needs, the staff members must immediately notify the Public Health Bureau and arrange for doctor’s appointment.
Part 2: Home Quarantine and Home Isolation
Q7: Are quarantine hotels available in Tainan?
A7: Tainan City Government’s Public Health Bureau and Bureau of Tourism worked together to secure quarantine hotels for residents undergoing home quarantine/isolation. For those who need further assistance concerning quarantine hotels, please contact the Public Health Bureau hotline (06-2880180).
Q8: Are there hotels in Tainan for the family members of the those undergoing self-health management or home-quarantine?
A8: For those required to undergo home-quarantine or home-isolation, besides the option of staying at quarantine hotels, they can also stay at home and let their family members stay at hotels. Tainan City provides a list of these safe, reassured accommodation with discount plans. Please check the list on Tainan Tourism and Travel Bureau website: https://www.twtainan.net/zh-tw/event/newsdetail/3897.
Q9: Are quarantine taxis available in Tainan?
A9: All quarantine taxi drivers have completed their professional training, conduct self-health management on a daily basis, and regularly report their health status. These dedicated quarantine taxis serve only the home quarantine and home isolation individuals. For those who need quarantine taxis, please contact the Public Health hotline (06-2880180). The Public Health Bureau conducts an assessment, and upon confirmation, refers the case to the Bureau of Transportation to dispatch these quarantine taxis. The taxi fare follows the rates of regular taxis.
Q10: What are the guidelines for individuals under home quarantine/ isolation?
A10: Please stay at home or place of lodging. Please wear a mask at all times. Remain indoor and refrain from taking public transportation. During home quarantine/isolation, please record your own temperature twice a day, in the morning and at night. Relevant agencies will contact you daily to check on your health status. For persons living together, please take adequate preventive measures, including keeping at least one meter away from the quarantined individual and use bleach solutions (concentrations of 500ppm) to clean the common living areas three times a day.
Q11: If one develops suspected symptoms during home quarantine/ isolation, what should I do?
A11: If you develop symptoms during home quarantine/isolation, please immediately call the Public Health Bureau hotline (06-2880180). Designated staff will conduct assessment, arrange medical care, facilitate telemedicine service with hospitals, and support necessary sanitization and disinfection procedures. Refrain from taking public transportation at all times.
Q12: Is telemedicine service available for home quarantine/isolation individuals?
A12: When home quarantine/isolation individuals do not feel well and
require medical care, please contact the Public Health Bureau hotline (06-2880180) for assessment. Once the assessment is completed and deemed necessary, the Public Health Bureau arranges telemedicine service with hospitals. Following the diagnosis, family members or designated persons take the patient’s National Health Insurance card to the designated clinic or hospital to pay and collect the medicine. Here’s the list of the medical institutions with telemedicine service: https://health.tainan.gov.tw/page.asp?mainid={B40D283E-AD5A-4FBF-8E50-FFC2CF568DB6}.
Q13: How should I handle garbage during home quarantine/isolation?
A13: Please make sure to put your personal waste in the red garbage bag provided in the quarantine care kit. If you need to have the garbage collected, please call the Bureau of Environmental Protection hotline to set up a pick-up time (06-2686610). It is usually once every five days, but as the number of home quarantined/isolated individuals increase, trash collection capacity can be compromised. We advise keeping the trash at home if space allows. Once the home quarantine/isolation period ends and your case is cleared, you may have the regular garbage trucks collect the waste.
Q14: How can short-term business travelers apply for the shortened home quarantine when visiting Tainan?
A14: All applications concerning the shortened home quarantine measure for short-term business travelers should refer to the guidelines developed by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) (https://www.cdc.gov.tw/Category/Page/40GydEZ6Lh7UDPxi73t4Vg ). If you want to apply to the local government for out-of-pocket COVID-19 testing or if you want to transition from home quarantine to self-health management, please contact the Public Health Bureau hotline (06-288-0180)