From Thailand to Taiwan, Covid-19 is creeping back in places thought to have conquered outbreaks

People wear protective masks to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 while selling meatballs in a market in Taipei, Taiwan, on Dec 23, 2020.- Reuters

HONG KONG (Bloomberg): The sudden re-emergence of Covid-19 in places with the world's best records for handling the pandemic is sending a discouraging message to health officials: Strategies to fully snuff out the virus don't work as a long-term solution, and even the most successful places can never let down their guard.

After more than 250 days without a single locally-transmitted coronavirus infection, Taiwan reported its first case since April on Tuesday (Dec 22), ending what was the world's longest virus-free streak.