新 聞 稿 中國國民黨文化傳播委員會 110.9.9
Delta病毒入侵，指揮中心該亡羊補牢
中國國民黨今(9)日召開「Delta病毒入侵，指揮中心該亡羊補牢」記者會，文傳會主委王育敏、台灣預防醫學學會理事長陳宜民、文傳會副主委黃子哲等出席。新北幼兒園感染案例經過基因定序確定為Delta變種病毒，在6月底屏東爆發Delta病毒群聚事件之後，Delta再度入侵台灣社區，但中央疫情指揮中心對於感染源卻說不清楚，無法確實掌握；對於傳染力更強的Delta病毒也未有明確的防範措施。難道蔡政府只能束手無策，讓台灣人民必須在疫情警戒中來回循環，遲遲無法回歸穩定的經濟生活。
面對Delta病毒入侵，國民黨列舉中央疫情指揮中心的四大防疫缺口：
一、現行邊境管控出現破口，擋不住Delta入侵
國民黨指出，近期的機師染疫或幼兒園社區群聚等兩起案例，皆已確認為Delta病毒，就目前情況而言，Delta病毒就是境外移入，顯見當前的邊境管制措施出現重大缺口，指揮中心顯然過於掉以輕心，並未依據國際間疫情的變化，對於機組員或一般民眾入境的隔離措施進行調整，導致Delta病毒有機可趁，入侵台灣社區。
國民黨強調，目前新北幼兒園染疫案件的感染源仍不明確，令人懷疑Delta病毒已入侵社區一段時間，指揮中心應該儘快針對Delta病毒的特性進行入境檢疫措施的調整。面對邊境管控的問題，解決疏漏，才能真正防範病毒變異株進到台灣。
二、政府採購疫苗到貨率太低，僅22.36%
國民黨指出，政府疫苗採購僅到貨666.65萬劑，到貨率僅22.36%，國際與民間捐贈的疫苗數量達819.4萬劑，大幅超越政府採購數量，凸顯政府的疫苗布局政策失效與失能，還有半數國人未打第一劑。當各國政府積極搶購疫苗、超買疫苗時，指揮中心卻說疫苗總量已經足夠，但國際間疫苗供貨不穩定，若無超前佈署，僅能倚賴國際與民間捐贈等不確定性的疫苗來源，指揮中心如何保證國人能在Delta入侵台灣之際，皆能接種完整的疫苗劑量？
三、疫苗第二劑施打率太低，僅4.17%
面對Delta病毒肆虐全球，且可能有其他變異株出現，國民黨表示，各國政府多積極規畫預防措施，美、英、德、法、日以及以色列等皆安排國人或高風險族群接種第三劑疫苗，德國政府讓到校學生快篩後才開始上課，快篩費用則由政府支付；但相對地，我國政府的疫苗施打政策混亂，雖然疫苗覆蓋率達到44.6%，但大多數只打到第一劑，完整施打兩劑疫苗的比例僅4.17%，其中七十五歲以上長者能完整施打兩劑的比例，更只有1.5%。
國民黨強調，指揮中心指揮官陳時中堅持先打一劑，但許多專家學者已公開表示，面對Delta病毒，若僅施打一劑疫苗，「有打跟沒打差不多」。因此，增加施打第二劑的疫苗覆蓋率，降低死亡、重症、住院機率，讓我國醫療體系能維繫照顧患者的充裕量能，始為防範各類變異株擴散、引發人民恐慌的關鍵作為。
四、未建立快篩國家隊，民眾自行檢測成本高
面對傳染力高的Delta病毒，應該利用普遍快篩儘快找出隱藏社區的染疫黑數，但國民黨表示，根據消基會日前整理資料，國內目前有5款家用快篩劑在通路上鋪貨，其中4款進口、1款國產，分別為核酸和抗原檢測方式，核酸檢測部分有2個品牌，一劑都為新台幣1890元，抗原檢測則有3個品牌，一盒平均約1700元至1900元，包含5入及2入包裝，每劑價格在285元至900元間；遑論政府所採用的「核酸檢測」方式（PCR），需要收取較高的費用，每次的自費檢測，各醫療院所的平均收費，即高達新台幣五、六千元以上。國民黨表示，國內快篩或PCR的價格偏高，人民自行採購快篩劑檢測的意願低，無法透過大量篩檢找出隱藏性感染源，成為疫情持續不減的風險。
國民黨認為，指揮中心應該儘速建立「快篩國家隊」，透過政府補助經費，提供民眾一定數量的快篩試劑，或降低快篩劑的價格，提高民眾自主快篩的意願，藉此儘快找出無症狀的病毒帶原者，阻斷傳播鏈，控制疫情的不斷擴散。
國民黨表示，面對Delta病毒已進入台灣，未來甚至可能有其他變異株入侵，中央疫情指揮中心應該接納專家意見、傾聽各方建言，建構有更積極、全面性的防範措施，將防疫缺口補上，讓疫情能獲有效控制，也讓人民安心、放心，儘早能恢復正常的生活。
Press Release
Culture and Communications Committee, Kuomintang
September 9, 2021
Delta Variant Intruding Taiwan! CECC Must Act, Better Late than Never!
The Kuomintang (KMT) convened a press conference on September 9 entitled “Delta Variant Intruding Taiwan! The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) Should Act, Better Late than Never,” with Director Wang, Yu-Min of the Culture and Communications Committee, Chairman Chen Yi-min of the Taiwan Society for Preventive Medicine, Deputy Director Huang Tzu-che of the committee in attendance.
With coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in New Taipei confirmed as the Delta variant after genetic analysis, coming right after the June outbreak of the Delta variant in Pingtung, Delta has once again intruded communities in Taiwan. Yet, the CECC cannot clearly state the source of the infection and cannot reliably control it; the CECC also entirely lacks clear-cut preventative measures against the highly infectious Delta variant. It would seem that the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen can do nothing but watch as the people to go back and forth between epidemic alert levels, unable to return to steady economic livelihood.
In face of the Delta variant intrusion, the KMT identifies the four major shortfalls with the CECC's epidemic prevention efforts:
(1) Current border controls, which exhibit ruptures, cannot prevent Delta intrusion
The KMT indicates that the two recent clusters of COVID-19 infections, airline pilots and a kindergarten community, have both been confirmed to be the Delta variant. Regarding the current situation, the Delta variant was imported from outside our borders, evincing a significant shortfall in current border control measures. The CECC clearly lowered its guard excessively and failed to adapt to the changing circumstances of the pandemic. The quarantine adjustments of both airline crew members and the general public for entry into our nation brought about an opportunity for the Delta variant to intrude communities in Taiwan.
The KMT emphasizes that the infection source of a New Taipei kindergarten cluster still remains unclear, causing people to suspect that the Delta variant had already intruded the community a while ago. The CECC should make adjustments to border entry quarantine measures by targeting the Delta variant’s specific properties as quickly as possible. Only by confronting the border control problems and resolving oversights can the Delta variant be prevented from entering Taiwan.
(2) Rate of delivered vaccines out of total procured is too low, at 22.36%
The KMT indicates that the government has taken delivery of only 6,666,500 doses of vaccine; the delivery rate is at a mere 22.36%. The amount of vaccines from international and non-governmental donations totals 8,194,000 doses, surpassing the amount procured by the government by a substantial amount. This evinces that the government’s vaccine arrangement policy has lost both effectiveness and capability: over half of our compatriots have not gotten their first dose. While every country’s government was frantically purchasing vaccines, the CECC said that there were enough vaccines to go around. However, the international supply of vaccines is unstable; if procurement is not planned well in advance, the CECC can only rely on the uncertain vaccine sources of international and non-governmental donations. With this uncertainty, how can the CECC guarantee that our compatriots are all able to be fully vaccinated during Delta’s intruding Taiwan this time?
(3) Second-dose vaccination rate also too low, at 4.17%
In the face of the Delta variant wreaking havoc on the whole world, and with the possibility of other variants appearing, the KMT states that every other nation’s government is actively planning protective measures. The United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan, and Israel have all arranged for their compatriots or high risk groups to be vaccinated with a third dose. The German government has mandated that students may only take in-person classes after rapid testing with the testing fee covered by the government. On the other hand, the vaccination policies of our nation’s government are chaotic and confusing; although the vaccination rate has reached 44.6%, the vast majority has only been vaccinated with their first dose. Only 4.17% of our people have been vaccinated with a second dose; only 1.5% of seniors over the age of 75, who are eligible for a second shot, have gotten the second dose.
The KMT emphasizes that Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, who heads the CECC, has insisted that everyone first get the first dose. However, numerous expert scholars have already publicly stated that in the face of the Delta variant, only one dose of vaccine is “about as effective as no vaccination at all.” Thus, increasing the number of people with a second dose of vaccine reduces the risks of death, grave medical conditions, and hospitalization, and also allows our nation’s healthcare system to maintain its capacity for attending to patients. Only by vaccinating enough people with a second dose can we prevent the spread of other variants and prevent the people from panicking.
(4) High costs to self-test due to failure to establish rapid testing across Taiwan
Confronted with the highly contagious Delta variant, universal rapid testing should be conducted to root out hidden, asymptomatic COVID-19 cases. However, the KMT states that, according to the recent data collated by the Consumers’ Foundation Chinese Taipei, presently there are five models of home-use rapid tests available domestically in stores. Out of these five models, four are imported, and only one is domestically produced. They are separated into PCR and antigen tests. Two brands utilize PCR, and each test costs NT$1,890 (about US$68). The other three brands employ antigen tests; this type costs between NT$1,700 (about US$61) and NT$1,900 (about US$68) per box, with two to five tests in each box, averaging out to about NT$285 (about $10) to NT$900 (about US$32) per test. Furthermore, the PCR tests that the government employs have a high cost: testing is at one’s own expense, and the average fee of a single test is about NT$5,000 (about US$180) to NT$6,000 (about US$216). The domestic prices of rapid testing are unusually high, so the people are less willing to voluntarily purchase rapid testing kits. We are thus unable to test in bulk in order to root out asymptomatic sources of infection, thus causing the chance that the pandemic situation will continue unabated.
According to the KMT, the CECC should establish a “National Rapid Testing Team” as quickly as possible, which would utilize government subsidies to provide the people with a fixed amount of rapid testing reagents or reduce the cost of rapid testing kits. This would improve the population’s incentives for autonomous rapid testing, thereby rooting out asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 as quickly as possible, cutting off the chain of infections, and containing the continuous spread of the pandemic.
The KMT states that confronted with the fact that the Delta variant has entered Taiwan, other variants might also intrude in the future. The CECC should adhere to experts’ suggestions, listen attentively to the advice of all parties, and construct even more active, comprehensive preventative measures. In this way, the CECC can resolve its pandemic prevention shortfalls, effectively contain the pandemic, let the people feel relieved and at ease, and help us resume our ordinary lives as quickly as possible.
(This is an abridged English translation of an official Kuomintang Chinese-language press release.)
