Taiwan led the world in closing down for Covid-19, now it wants to do the same with opening back up

New arrivals to Taiwan might be forgiven for thinking they've stepped back in time. On the streets of the island's capital, Taipei, pedestrians appear more concerned with staying out of the hot midday sun than maintaining any semblance of social distancing. Large lines stretch along the sidewalks, as people cram into popular lunchtime eateries. And in nearby parks, large groups of young people exercise and practice dance routines.

In fact, there are few if any visible signs that this is 2020 and the world is in the grip of a raging pandemic. As the global number of confirmed Covid-19 cases surpasses 30 million, residents of Taipei seem relaxed in the knowledge there has been only one suspected case linked to local transmission in the city since mid-April.

And in Taiwan as a whole, an island with a population of approximately 23 million people, there have been around 500 confirmed cases and just 7 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. And that's despite it being located just 130 kilometers (81 miles) from China, the country where the virus was first detected.

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