Prose 生活隨筆: 2021 Go Home (Taiwan) 6

(This post was published on my old blog on October 8, 2021. This was the first time that my father was transferred to Cheng Hsin General Hospital on August 24, 2021. We had not yet found a caregiver for him yet and I had to stay with my father in the hospital at night so we ate at the nearby restaurant at noon. This is the first time that I experienced the contact tracing policy which was implemented to control the pandemic, and then I became accustomed to it. The contact tracing policy requires the use of a Taiwanese mobile phone to implement. I don’t have a Taiwanese mobile phone number, so I fill in the information by hand every time. If I write it incorrectly, no one will check it, so the effectiveness of this policy is questionable.)
(這篇貼文在 2021 年 10 月 8 日發表於我的舊部落格。這是爸爸在 2021 年 8 月 24 日第一次轉進振興醫院，我們尚未找到看護，晚上我要在醫院陪爸爸，中午先在附近吃飯，才第一次經歷了為控制疫情的實名登記政策，之後便習以為常了。實名登記政策需要用臺灣的手機來運作，像我沒有臺灣的手機號碼，每次用手填寫資料，如果亂寫，也沒有人查核，所以這個政策的推行有效性是值得存疑的。)

Starting May 19, 2021 Taiwan has implemented a real-name registration system using QR code to provide contact tracing for COVID-19. Contact tracing is an important measure in early-stage outbreaks and has been described by Taiwan’s Cabinet as the first line of defense before the vaccine becomes widely available. People are required to scan a QR code upon entering supermarkets, shops, restaurants or any public places. It works like a venue check-in process and then QR code connects to the SMS embedded in their cellphones. Once the text message is sent, the information will be collected and stored by their telecom providers for 28 days. In the event of COVID-19 outbreak, it provides a tool for the government to notify people who might potentially be impacted. People can also opt for a pen and paper type of contact method.

I have not researched the effectiveness of this QR code/contact tracing method. Theoretically it sounds like a good idea to minimize the outbreaks of infection. With privacy concerns, I know it will bring big roars if implemented in the United States. It leads me to think about what is more important: individual privacy/freedom or public health concern/sacrifice. I have no answers. Just want to drop a note here for my own reference in the future.

從 2021 年 5 月 19 日起，台灣實施了二維碼的實名登記系統，以提供 COVID-19 的接觸者追踪。接觸者追踪是控制疫情在初期爆發時的一項重要措施，並被台灣內閣描述為在疫苗被廣泛施打之前的第一道防線。人們在進入超市、商店、餐館或任何公共場所時都需要掃描二維碼。它的運用原理類似於場地登記流程，然後二維碼連接到他們手機中的短信，發送短信後，信息將由其電信提供商收集並存儲 28 天。一但在COVID-19 爆發的情況下，它成為政府的一種工具，來通知可能受到影響的人。當然人們也可以選擇筆和紙類型的聯繫方式。

我還沒有研究過這種二維碼/聯繫人追踪方法的有效性。從理論上講，用此方法來減少感染的爆發性，聽起來是個好主意。至於考慮到隱私問題，我知道如果在美國實施這樣一種制度，一定會引起一陣騷動。它讓我思考什麼是更重要的問題：個人隱私/自由或公共衛生問題/犧牲。我沒有答案。只是想在這裡留下一個筆記，以供我將來參考。

Postscript on March 2, 2024: Cheng Hsin General Hospital was originally a Cheng Hsin orphanage established by Madame Chiang (Soong May-ling) in 1964. It was restructured into Cheng Hsin Rehabilitation Medical Center in 1967 and began to provide free medical assistance and rehabilitation services to children with polio and other physical and mental disabilities as well as provide pre-employment training and prosthetic brace fitting service. In 1994, it started open heart and heart replacement surgeries and transformed into a modern general hospital.
後記於 2024 年 3 月 2 日: 振興醫院原是蔣宋美齡夫人在 1964 年成立的振興育幼院，於1967年改成立振興復健醫學中心，開始為小兒麻痺及其他身心障礙兒童提供免費相關醫療救援與復健服務，同時也提供職前訓練以及義肢支架裝配。1994 年開始開心及換心手術，並轉型成現代化綜合醫院。