Taiwan country may spurt its COVID-19 alert level in the "coming days", Health Minister Chen Shih-Chung said on Wednesday, warning of an extremely serious situation on the island which has so far controlled the pandemic well, sending the stock market tanking.
Reacting to the situation, the International benchmark stock index fell more than 8% on worries over the new cases, though infections are still relatively few.
On Tuesday, Taiwan announced plans to restrict public gatherings as a result of a cluster of six new cases with no clear infection source, an unusual outbreak for the island that had kept a tight lid on community outbreaks.
Describing the situation as "very serious", Chen told parliament the level could be lifted a notch to three, limiting gatherings to five people indoors and 10 outdoors, as well as the closing of non-essential businesses. "If there is the slightest failure in containment, then we will soon enter level three," Chen said.
Taiwan Deputy Finance Minister Frank Juan said the stock market and economic fundamentals are sound. "Investors should remain calm and have confidence."
Taiwan largely closed its borders early in the pandemic and has a robust contact tracing and quarantine system, keeping infections to 1,210, including 12 deaths, and allowing life to stay close to normal. The government this week asked hospitals across Taiwan to allocate enough wards for potential new infections, Chen said, adding they are capable of providing 3,000 beds to treat patients.
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