To better protect the nation's healthcare personnel caring for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) patients, the Executive Yuan yesterday said it would insure medical staff for NT$10 million each as part of a new anti-SARS insurance policy.
"We expect the finance ministry and health department to present a more detailed plan to the premier for final approval," Cabinet Spokesman Lin Chia-lung (
The meeting, presided over by Vice Premier Lin Hsin-i (
Concrete measures hammered out yesterday included encouraging the public to inform health authorities about suspected SARS cases, suspending the holding of large-scale activities, promoting the importance of personal hygiene, making public correct and timely SARS-related information and necessary warnings, establishing SARS-related information Web sites, tracking recovered SARS patients and fully implementing the 10-day domestic quarantine policy.
According to the health department, a total of 7,164 people have been put under the 10-day domestic quarantine, 2,217 of which have been removed from the list.
As of yesterday afternoon, an accumulative total of 643 cases have been reported, with eight deaths. Probable SARS cases have risen from 100 to 102. Suspected cases have increased from 97 to 102, with 45 having been discharged from hospitals and 57 still remaining in hospitals.
To fully implement the 10-day domestic quarantine program, Hsu Ying-shen (
Those reporting to local health authorities within 24 hours after receiving the quarantine notification and who do not violate any related rules will receive a NT$5,000 consolation subsidy.
The public is encouraged to take advantage of the toll free, 24-hour hot line (0800-000-085) to inform health authorities about suspected SARS cases or quarantine violators.
To help medical institutions more efficiently test the SARS virus, Twu yesterday revealed that the DOH expects to receive the test kits offered by the WHO on May 10.
Twu also called on the public to wear appropriate masks to ward off the SARS virus.
"While regular masks such as active carbon ones are sufficient for the general public, health-care personnel caring for SARS patients should wear surgical masks," Twu said.
As the Armed Forces Sungshan Hospital in Taipei City has been designated as the nation's first hospital treating only SARS patients, Twu yesterday said that the Sungchong Hospital in Taipei County will become the second one next Saturday.
Since the outbreak of SARS, the number of people visiting Hong Kong and Macau has seen a 90 percent decrease as of yesterday, according to Jeff Yang (楊家駿), director of the Mainland Affairs Council's Department of Legal Affairs.
According to the Global Insight, Taiwan's economy growth rate is estimated to see a 0.5 percent decrease from 3.8 percent to 3.3 percent if the outbreak can be brought under control before the second quarter. It will, however, plummet down to 2 percent if it drags on until the end of the year.
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
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COLD FACTS: ‘Snow skin’ mooncakes, made with a glutinous rice skin and kept at a low temperature, have relatively few calories compared with other mooncakes Traditional mooncakes are a typical treat for many Taiwanese in the lead-up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, but a Taipei-based dietitian has urged people not to eat more than one per day and not to have them every day due to their high fat and calorie content. As mooncakes contain a lot of oil and sugar, they can have negative health effects on older people and those with diabetes, said Lai Yu-han (賴俞含), a dietitian at Taipei Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. “The maximum you can have is one mooncake a day, and do not eat them every day,” Lai