Taiwan’s Response to the COVID-19 Crisis: Experience and Lessons

Taiwan, an advanced island economy of 23.8 million people, has shown the world that preparedness, an overarching national policy, a central-command structure supported by sophisticated communications and information technology infrastructure to oversee the smooth implementation of anti-COVID-19 measures, close collaboration between the public and private sectors, and cooperation of the public can successfully manage a sudden and severe public health threat such as COVID-19 and its many ensuing variants and subvariants. Taiwan’s COVID-19 outcomes as measured by the total cumulative number of cases and deaths are superior to almost all other countries in the world, as the chapter’s many exhibits demonstrate. The chapter begins with a brief history of the COVID-19 crisis in Taiwan from its beginning in January 2020 to early August 2022. This is followed by a more detailed discussion on Taiwan’s response to its COVID-19 crisis in each of the four phases in the two-and-a-half-year period, with emphasis on the roles played by Taiwan’s government, private sector, and the public. This is then followed by a discussion of the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on Taiwan’s economy and society. The chapter ends with a discussion of lessons learned.