A Breakthrough Worth Waiting For

 * News broke early this morning that both FoxConn founder Terry Gou and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC) have each signed a sales agreement with Shanghai's Fosun Pharma to purchase ten million does collectively of BNT (Pfizer) vaccines. The vaccines will be donated to Taiwan's public health agencies for distribution.

* Undoubtedly this is a timely boost to not only the DPP administration's ongoing fight to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, but also the public's morale and confidence in Taiwan. Although the island remains under level-three alert until July 26, the outlook appears brighter as the pace of vaccination intensifies in the coming weeks. 

* Though the delivery date is yet to be ascertained, the vaccines will likely be applied first to students--those age 12 and above--as the fall semester is set to begin in September. Once the vaccines have arrived, the rate of vaccination will determine how quickly schools can begin in-person learning, which will be critical in the island's return to per-outbreak normalcy.

* Though uncertainties remain, the apparent success of FoxConn and TSMC has blazed a trail for local governments, as well as other corporate and civic organizations, attempting to secure more vaccines to protect the island's 24 million people. The well-known buddhist organization, the Tzu Chi Foundation, have also entered into agreement with the DPP administration to procure another five million doses of BNT vaccines. Therefore, the island's once vaccine shortage should be well addressed within the next three months.

* How well, and how quickly, the DPP administration can contain the ongoing outbreak will bear directly on the 2022 mayoral elections, and possibly the 2024 presidential race. The ruling DPP might have lost a few battles since the outbreak in mid-May, but it's not preordained for an electoral defeat next year. There is still time for President Tsai and the ruling party to recover, especially since the opposition parties like the Kuomintang (KMT) have not made significant stride in the latest public opinion surveys.