TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei will no longer publish the movements of new COVID-19 cases starting Wednesday (April 20), as “there is no point doing so” amid the spike in local infections, Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said Wednesday (April 20).

At a COVID briefing, Ko said the footprints of new cases are everywhere, rendering the disclosure of locations where they have set foot “meaningless.” The move follows a similar announcement by New Taipei, which said last week no such information would be published when the national number hit 1,000 cases per day.

Taipei's daily local case number jumped from 100 on April 11 to 471 on April 20. Nationwide, Taiwan added 2,386 local cases on Wednesday, its highest ever, with the daily caseload having exceeded 1,000 six days in a row.

The peak has yet to arrive, suggested the country’s COVID task force chief Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who estimated daily cases could reach 10,000 by the end of this month.

Meanwhile, the capital is scaling down the scope of contact tracing. Only those who come into contact with cases two days prior to their onset of symptoms will be alerted. In addition, the scope of the term "contacts" will be limited to positive cases’ family members, classmates, and close contacts in the workplace, as well as those they dine with or stay in a closed space with.

As Taipei gears up for an explosion of infections, the mayor is again calling on retired medical workers to join the pandemic control front at beefed-up COVID quarantine hotels. Those signing up will be paid NT$5,000 (US$171) for an eight-hour shift, building on the success of a similar scheme last year.

Also being sought are cleaners for the city’s quarantine facilities, Ko said. The recruitment drive ends on April 30.