The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said it is preparing to list a viral pneumonia of an unknown cause originating from China’s Wuhan as a category 5 communicable disease.
Fifty-nine cases had been reported in China as of yesterday, with seven showing severe symptoms, it said.
The CDC on Tuesday last week started conducting onboard inspections of direct flights from Wuhan, it added.
Photo: CNA
It has conducted inspections on 13 flights, covering a total of 1,193 passengers and crew members, the CDC said.
Nine people were found with symptoms, which later improved, it said, adding that local health departments are tracking their recovery.
One person was found to have been infected with the H3N2 flu virus, while another, who is being tested, had been to Wuhan, but had not visited the Huanan Seafood City market and had not come into contact with poultry, it added.
Listing the illness as a category 5 communicable disease would allow the CDC to quarantine suspected cases according to the guidelines for communicable disease prevention, it said.
This would eliminate instances of people refusing to be quarantined, it said, adding that it would complete the listing as soon as possible.
The CDC said that it would also raise the alert internationally and at “small three links” ports.
It would ask passengers with a fever whether they had traveled to Wuhan, it said.
The CDC on Tuesday issued a level 1 “watch” health notice for travelers to Wuhan due to the outbreak, saying that it has also asked health professionals in the city for information to better understand the disease.
People planning to travel to Wuhan and its surrounding areas should take precautions, including avoiding direct exposure to livestock, raw meat markets and infected people, it said, adding that they should also frequently wash their hands with soap and wear a surgical mask when entering crowded areas.
The CDC on Monday said that SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome have been excluded as possible causes of the outbreak, but added that the cause has not yet been identified.
“There is limited information to determine the overall risk of this reported cluster of pneumonia of unknown etiology,” said the WHO’s report on “pneumonia of unknown cause in China,” which was released on Sunday.
It advised against the application of any travel or trade restrictions on China based on the information available.
The WHO recommended public health measures, and surveillance of possible influenza and severe acute respiratory infections, and urged travelers experiencing respiratory illness either during or after travel to seek medical attention and share their travel history with their healthcare provider.
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
UKRAINE, NVIDIA: The US leader said the subject of Russia’s war had come up ‘very strongly,’ while Jenson Huang was hoping that the conversation was good Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump had differing takes following their meeting in Busan, South Korea, yesterday. Xi said that the two sides should complete follow-up work as soon as possible to deliver tangible results that would provide “peace of mind” to China, the US and the rest of the world, while Trump hailed the “great success” of the talks. The two discussed trade, including a deal to reduce tariffs slapped on China for its role in the fentanyl trade, as well as cooperation in ending the war in Ukraine, among other issues, but they did not mention
HOTEL HIRING: An official said that hoteliers could begin hiring migrant workers next year, but must adhere to a rule requiring a NT$2,000 salary hike for Taiwanese The government is to allow the hospitality industry to recruit mid-level migrant workers for housekeeping and three other lines of work after the Executive Yuan yesterday approved a proposal by the Ministry of Labor. A shortage of workers at hotels and accommodation facilities was discussed at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee. A 2023 survey conducted by the Tourism Administration found that Taiwan’s lodging industry was short of about 6,600 housekeeping and cleaning workers, the agency said in a report to the committee. The shortage of workers in the industry is being studied, the report said. Hotel and Lodging Division Deputy Director Cheng
TOKYO SUMMIT: The new Japanese PM’s words have demonstrated Japan’s ‘firm position on urging the prioritization of cross-strait peace,’ the foreign ministry said Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday thanked US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for supporting peace in the Taiwan Strait, a day after the two at a summit in Tokyo emphasized the importance of regional stability and ahead of a meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea today. The previous day’s meeting was the first time Takaichi had met with the US leader since becoming Japanese prime minister, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Since taking office on Tuesday last week, Takaichi has urged the international community to
RSS