TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A professor at the prestigious National Taiwan University College of Medicine (NTUCM) has suggested that COVID cases under quarantine be allowed to cast their votes in local elections on Saturday (Nov. 26) as long as they wear a hazmat suit.

Chen Pei-jer (陳培哲), who teaches at the NTUCM Graduate Institute of Microbiology, said on Sunday (Nov. 20) that COVID cases should be permitted to vote and their constitutional rights can be ensured by putting on a protective garment, per China Times.

This can be done by offering them a tutorial about how to wear and take off a hazmat suit and disinfection tips, he added. Chen is also a fellow member of the Academia Sinica, the national academy of Taiwan.

Whether or not to allow those infected with the virus to vote has sparked heated debate in Taiwan, which heads to the polls on Saturday to elect local officials, including mayors and magistrates.

The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Monday (Nov. 21) said the idea has been considered but rejected as unviable and would “stigmatize” people. CECC has urged those subject to isolation against voting to prevent the virus from spreading.

Central Election Commission (CEC) Chairperson Lee Chin-yung (李進勇) has cited the lack of an absentee voting system as one of the reasons to implement the ban, which is estimated to affect about 50,000 to 70,000 voters. Currently, a “5+n” quarantine scheme is mandatory for confirmed cases, meaning those reporting a positive test result from Monday will not be allowed to vote on Saturday.