Diplomats urge more Web-site updates from CDC

Taiwan-based diplomats yesterday urged the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to update its Web site information on the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) on a regular basis, according to a foreign ministry spokesman.

"They suggested that the CDC update the information on SARS in Taiwan in a timely manner," Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Richard Shih (石瑞琦) said as he emerged from a closed-door briefing on SARS to Taipei-based diplomats.

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Tou Chou-seng (杜筑生), who held the cross-ministerial briefing, admitted that "there are so many rumors in the newspapers" about SARS.

"We are unable to tell you which rumor is correct and which one is not," Tou told a roomful of ambassadors and representatives.

Officials from the Mainland Affair Council, Bureau of Consular Affairs and the CDC briefed the diplomats on the spread and containment of SARS, as well as visa and quarantine measures imposed by the government.

During the question and answer session, questions were raised from the floor about what Shih termed as "technical" problems.

Charles Finny, director of the New Zealand Commerce and Industry office, asked whether the government has notified the WHO about the death of a SARS-infected man in Taichung last week.

Hsu Hsu-mei (許須美), Deputy Director-General of the CDC, said the case is yet to be reviewed by a committee before the WHO is notified.

"I think it is a very good idea that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held the briefing because the more information that Taiwan provides to the Taiwanese people ... it'll be better for Taiwan," Finny told the Taipei Times after the briefing.

The government has announced that it would temporarily suspend the issuance of visas to nationals from SARS-affected areas, including Canada, Singapore, China, Hong Kong and Vietnam from Monday to May 12th.

Meanwhile, three Persian Gulf states have banned the entry of Taiwanese nationals in the wake of the SARS outbreak, according to the Bureau of Counsular Affairs yesterday evening.

The three countries are Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait, while the United Arab Emirates and Oman are yet to make any official decision on the ban, the bureau added.

Wire reports said that a sixth, Qatar, had initiated the ban although Saudi Arabia-based diplomats from the country declined to confirm the information, the bureau said.

The six countries belong to the Gulf Cooperation Council.