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Taiwan is stepping up measures to monitor individuals undergoing home quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic through a series of technology partnerships, according to the Centers for Disease Control under the Ministry of Health and Welfare March 18.
 
The CDC is joining hands with New Taipei City-headquartered consumer electronics company HTC Corp. to create a chatbot for Line, a popular instant messaging application in the country, the CDC said.
 
The bot will provide a means for those undergoing home quarantine to report their health statuses and obtain firsthand information regarding self-care. It is expected to significantly reduce the burden on frontline medical personnel.
 
Roger Chen, managing director of Line Taiwan, said the company is pleased to assist the government with its efforts combating coronavirus, while HTC Senior Director Sam Yu added the project is an example of how modern technology can be used to help disease-fighting efforts.
 
MOHW Minister and head of the Central Epidemic Command Center Chen Shih-chung thanked the two companies for their contributions, adding that this type of cooperation between the public and private sectors is invaluable for preventing the spread of COVID-19.
 
In a further use of technology, Taiwan has employed big data analytics for its entry quarantine system since Feb. 14 to track individuals at high risk of infection. The measures received praise from Dr. C. Jason Wang, who said in an article published March 3 in U.S.-based Journal of the American Medical Association that the government’s action plan is an exemplary example of a timely, efficient and transparent response to the coronavirus outbreak. (TYT-E)
 
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw