COVID-19: NPIs critical to containing COVID-19 spread: expertsBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterAside from boosting the nation’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage, implementation of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) is key to controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, as the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 spreads around the world, infecting even fully vaccinated people, public health experts said yesterday. Researcher Jen Hsiao-hsuan explains the effectiveness of various nonpharmaceutical interventions in limiting the spread of COVID-19 during an online broadcast yesterday hosted by National Taiwan University College of Public Health professor Tony Chen. Screen grab by Wu Po-hsuan, Taipei TimesBreakthrough cases refer to people testing positive for COVID-19, despite being fully vaccinated for at least 14 days. The data suggest that even in places where the vaccination coverage is relatively high, the Delta variant can still cause a small surge in cases, Chen said. While Taiwan has lowered the nationwide COVID-19 alert to level 2, it should continue to implement NPIs as a key measure to contain the virus, especially in the face of the Delta variant spreading around the world, he added.

Source: Taipei Times August 04, 2021 15:56 UTC