CHINA / SOCIETY By Global Times Published: May 31, 2021 02:16 AM Medical personnel wearing protective gear guide people at a rapid coronavirus testing center in Taipei, Taiwan on May 18, 2021. Photo: CFP Experts on Sunday criticized the local authorities on the island of Taiwan for putting politics before epidemic management and turning a blind eye to the increasingly rampant outbreak of COVID-19 on the island with new local cases at a record high. The Taiwan epidemic command center reported 355 new local cases of COVID-19 infections and 11 deaths on Sunday. The island announced at the beginning of the week that it will extend its coronavirus alert level to mid-June in an effort to contain a COVID-19 outbreak.