From the perspective of almost a year from the first reports of the new virus and more than six months of the pandemic declaration, what do you see as crucial for Taiwan to control the situation?
It’s definitely soap and mask use — both need to work in tandem.
More and more countries are offering exposure notification apps in the hope that they will help with infection control. Unfortunately, it is not yet visible that they actually bring great results. Maybe we overestimate the possibilities of technology and assume too optimistically that they will be our “salvation”?
If we do not collect new data in the name of a pandemic — i.e. the data collection points are already collecting the data anyway — that means that people are more familiar with its privacy and cybersecurity parameters.
Which tech-solutions, in your opinion, are today crucial for countries to support the fight of doctors and virologists?
The most important technologies are chemical and physical, namely hand sanitizers and physical vaccine, i.e. masks.
We look with such admiration at your homeland, but maybe Taiwan simply has better conditions to fight the virus? You are an island, you have a highly digitized society … Which of these features do you consider the most important?
I think trustworthiness — namely, the capability of public servants to trust citizens, instead of imposing top down measures — is the most important feature.
If you were to advise other governments what they should now - of course in terms of digitization - do when we are experiencing a second, much more severe wave of pandemics, what would you indicate as key issue?
A daily live-streamed, ask-us-anything press conference, plus a 24-hours hotline, is a key measure that can be implemented on simple, existing infrastructure.Po