On February 16, 2020, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) indicated that in response to the expanding global outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), in order to early detect suspected cases and prevent community-based and nosocomial spread, the community-based surveillance measure has been expanded to include the following individuals since February 16:
1.   Any individuals with foreign travel history (including Singapore, Thailand, Japan and other countries) in the past 14 days or any individuals who have had contact with foreign travelers with a fever or respiratory symptoms and highly suspected of having the said symptoms caused by COVID-19 by the physician in the past 14 days
2.  Clusters of cases of fever/respiratory symptoms
3.   Pneumonia cases whose symptoms haven’t improved after three days of antibiotic therapy for unknown cause or clusters of pneumonia cases or healthcare workers having pneumonia

Since February 12, COVID-19 testing has become a mandatory procedure for severe complicated influenza cases, cases of community-acquired upper respiratory infections under surveillance and clusters of upper respiratory infections who were reported on and after January 31 and whose specimens tested negative.

People who don’t require hospitalization as determined by the physician are required to return home to conduct self-health management and to stay at home before the notification of test results. Furthermore, people are advised to abide by self-health management regulations within 14 days of symptom onset. The CECC reminds that doctors should take droplet and contact precautions when admitting and treating suspected cases for further examination. For more information on COVID-19, please visit the Taiwan CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw