After striving to contain the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, Taiwan finally saw its first day of no local cases in more than two months. As a result, the government is expected to start lifting COVID-19 restrictions, but such easing must be done in stages, without repeating Hong Kong’s mistakes.
Despite a two-dose COVID-19 vaccination rate exceeding 70 percent, Hong Kong is facing its worst outbreak of the pandemic. The territory’s experience shows that having two shots only reduces the number of severe Omicron cases, but provides little protection against infection.
Many people in Taiwan regard the nation’s vaccination coverage rate as the