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CECC to be dissolved as Covid is downgraded
Deputy Health Minister Victor Wang says the coronavirus will be downgraded from a Category 5 communicable disease to a Category 4 disease on 1 May. The move means that the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) will also be disbanded that same day after being operational for a total of 1,197 days.
The statement comes after Premier Chen Chien-jen presided over a meeting of health officials.
According to Wang, the decision was made because the coronavirus has now become a flu-like disease, and the number of patients developing serious infections or dying is continuing to decline. The deputy health minister also says key coronavirus measures, including treatment for patients with serious complications, drug distribution, and an annual coronavirus vaccine jab, have all now been integrated into the medical system.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare will be taking over the tasks of the CECC from 1 May. The Centers for Disease Control says the health ministry will begin preparing for any changes in the disease's development, such as the emergence of new strains of the coronavirus, while an expert panel will be taking steps to prepare for a possible surge of new cases.
