LAUSR

legislation was enacted in Taiwan. We preliminarily examined the impact of COVID-19 confirmed cases and number of employees with unpaid leave on the number of domestic violence in all 22 counties and cities in Taiwan. Undoubtedly, higher numbers of COVID-19 confirmed cases corresponded with higher numbers of employees passively volunteered for unpaid leave in that county/city (r(14) = 0.915, P < 0.001). Results of the Pearson correlation indicated that there were significant positive associations between domestic violence detected by police and number of COVID-19 confirmed cases (r(14) = 0.649, P = 0.006), as well as the number of employees with unpaid leave (r(20) = 0.497, P = 0.019). The higher number of COVID19 confirmed cases and employees with unpaid leave in the county/city saw a higher prevalence of reported domestic violence. The rise in domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic was not only seen in the countries with higher numbers of cases, but also in countries experiencing social distancing like Taiwan. Of note, it is not only economic crisis that contributes to domestic violence with forced proximity itself also being a risk factor. Stressful life events during the COVID-19 pandemic, accompanied by economic pressure, injury, and illness, may exacerbate preexisting familial conflicts. The reported number of domestic violence is always underestimated and the impact of COVID19 on domestic violence noticed currently is just the tip of the iceberg. While we are still grappling with the novel coronavirus, it is crucial to address the issue of the rise in domestic violence and take an actionable step forward, for instance, increasing accessibility to public resources through new technology and mental health resource allocation. At least, as the UK Government suggests, guidance on social isolation does not apply if you need to leave your home to escape domestic violence. Besides providing reimbursements for economic loss, early screening and identification of those vulnerable to domestic violence, particularly those infected with COVID-19, experiencing unpaid leave or disruption of social networks, are warranted in this pandemic period. Appropriate screening tools should be more readily available and first responders, physicians and other healthcare personal need to be made aware of the potential for increased domestic violence. Social media outlets should be used to raise awareness of the psychological repercussions of social isolation. Telehealth-related service should be expanded during this pandemic, including the accessibility to 24/7 public health service through teleconference, initial screening and psychiatric evaluation by videoconference, and telemedicine services for those in home isolation and quarantine.