去年12月COVID-19在武漢爆發以來，全球已有四千多萬病例與一百多萬死亡，導致各國經濟蕭條。臺灣經歷2002-2003年SARS風暴、2006-2008年禽流感威脅、2009-2010年H1N1新型流感大流行，國家的防疫、公衛與醫療體系，不斷日益精進。審慎以對、迅速應變、超前部署、公開透明、全民團結的台灣模式，已成為防堵COVID-19大流行的全球典範。
在自由、民主、多元、開放的國家，唯有「我為人人、人人為我」的全民共識，彼此關懷、相互合作，才能有效防疫。隔離治療病例、院內感染管控、追蹤密切接觸者、居家檢疫或隔離、維持社交距離、避免群聚活動、實踐衛生習慣、配購防疫物資，都需要全民的高度配合與支持。台灣的民主凝聚了國家意識、促進社會團結、提升公民素質，使得疫情控制完善，經濟衰退最低，全球防疫表現最佳，這是台灣2350萬英雄努力得來的成果！
After the challenges of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) pandemic in 2003, H5N1 avian influenza pandemic in 2006-2008, and new H1N1 influenza pandemic in 2009-2010, Taiwan’s systems of epidemic control, public health and medical care have been improved extensively. There have been a huge number of confirmed cases and deaths from COVID-19 since December 2019. The pandemic also resulted in economic recession in almost all countries. Low-income families and vulnerable industries have been most severely affected. The response to COVID-19 in Taiwan was ranked as the best by the Bloomberg Economics and Newsweek Japan in late July, and Oxford Martin School in mid-September. The four major principles underpinning Taiwan’s success of COVID-19 containment include prudent action, rapid response, early deployment, and transparency. There were no city lockdown and mass screening in Taiwan, while the information and communication technology and artificial intelligence were used to facilitate border control and quarantine, contact tracing and tracking, precision testing, home isolation/quarantine, cell broadcast of hotspot, mass production and name-based rationing of personal protection equipment, hospital infection control, promotion of personal hygiene, social distancing and avoidance of large-scale gatherings, financial relief and economic stimulus, and international collaboration. The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) has held daily press briefings since January, which generate accurate news across a broad spectrum of media outlets. CECC quickly established its authority and earned the trust of the public. The public trust has had a stabilizing influence on society, encouraging citizens to follow government guidance and rules, and making the public less vulnerable to disinformation campaigns. This has created a virtuous cycle: the more public trust that exists, the more people are willing to cooperate, raising our chances of overcoming this challenge. Solidarity is the key for the successful containment of COVID-19 and maintenance of economic vitality in Taiwan.
