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Taiwan News Quick Take

■HEALTH

Workers get food poisoning

More than 20 foreign workers employed at the Dali Industrial Park in Taichung County were treated at a hospital for food poisoning late on Wednesday night, the park administration said yesterday. A steady stream of foreign workers began arriving at Dali City’s Jen-Ai Hospital emergency room from 11:30pm with symptoms such as abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, according to the park administration. Four of the workers whose symptoms were more serious were hospitalized for further observation, while most of the others were sent home after receiving treatment, the hospital said. The workers said they began experiencing the symptoms after eating Thai-style boxed lunches at the industrial park. The hospital said that it has collected food samples and is conducting tests to identify the source of the suspected poisoning.



■HEALTH

CDC eases vaccine worries

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) assured the public yesterday that government-funded chicken pox vaccines are in sufficient supply amid an ongoing outbreak of the disease among schoolchildren. The recent delivery of 50,000 doses of the vaccine to Taiwan is expected to meet local demand for the next six months, and the CDC is currently procuring more vaccine to cope with the need, CDC Deputy Director-General Chou Chih-hao (周志浩) said. Since January 2004, the government has provided free inoculation against chicken pox for infants who have reached 12 months. However, a global shortage of the vaccine since last year has forced the government to delay the age for inoculation to 15 months. According to Chou, a total of 5,900 chicken pox cases were recorded around the country between January and last month, up 11 percent compared with the same period last year, when 5,300 cases were recorded.



■POLITICS

Chen Chu stands firm

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) reiterated yesterday that she will attend an upcoming international tourism expo in Beijing only if she could do so in her capacity as mayor. Chen said during a question-and-answer session at the city council that she would refuse to take part in the expo to be held later this month if the Chinese government asks her make the trip in a private capacity. Chen’s remarks came amid reports that an increasing number of local city and county chiefs in Taiwan are planning to visit China following the May 20 inauguration of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government, which is seeking to build closer trade ties with China.



■POLITICS

No ruling on elections: CEC

The Central Election Commission (CEC) has yet to decide whether to combine three elections, scheduled to occur in the next two years, into one to save costs, CEC Chairman Chang Cheng-hsiung (張政雄) said yesterday. “Whether to combine the elections into one will require gauging public opinion,” Chang said. He was referring to the city and county chief elections late next year and city and county council, and township and village chief elections in 2010. Chang disputed Minister of the Interior Liao Liao-yi’s (廖了以) recent remarks at the legislature that his ministry would decide in mid-October whether to combine the elections, as it is stipulated that related authorities should announce a decision one year prior to the elections.


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