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While Taiwan marks over 200 days without any local coronavirus cases, it's easy to forget that its response was certainly not repressive, but included several strong measures early on that most countries weren't, and maybe still aren't, able to do.
1/ Taiwan banned people from China and HK with just one day's notice in early February. Most people in Taiwan likely supported or had no issue with this at all.
https://www.cdc.gov.tw/En/Bulletin/Detail/KMAEC24Yf_5cm94oNL4Jxg?typeid=158
https://www.cdc.gov.tw/En/Bulletin/Detail/KMAEC24Yf_5cm94oNL4Jxg?typeid=158
2/ Before that, in early January, Taiwan's government took control of facemask production and distribution from private firms, as well as banned exports. The government also ordered firms to ramp up production.
https://www.cdc.gov.tw/En/Bulletin/Detail/-dU_LiC4WQm82jB-lb9KqQ?typeid=158 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/coronavirus-taiwan-03102020154641.html
https://www.cdc.gov.tw/En/Bulletin/Detail/-dU_LiC4WQm82jB-lb9KqQ?typeid=158 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/coronavirus-taiwan-03102020154641.html
3/ Taiwan also implemented smartphone tracking on all visitors as an "electronic fence" for their 14-day quarantine. The authorities did this without obtaining prior consent or notification, raising privacy concerns. https://taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2020/03/21/2003733113
Except for the abrupt ban on HKers including those with ARCs, I have no issue. However, Taiwan's response wasn't just scientific and tech-based methods but involved steps that Western nations would find hard to pull off. Even Japan and Korea didn't ban China visitors at first.
