As a result of Taiwan’s proximity to South Asia and unusual rainfall this year, health authorities are on a high state of alert over a possible serious outbreak of dengue fever, Department of Health (DOH) Minister Yaung Chih-liang (楊志良) said yesterday.
Describing dengue fever as “the biggest threat” to Taiwanese among all infectious diseases, Yaung said it was highly unlikely the nation would be spared this year.
Outbreaks of swine flu, seasonal influenza, enterovirus and NDM-1 were also likely, he told a press conference after the weekly Cabinet meeting where he presented a proposal for disease prevention measures.
“The number of cases of dengue fever this year could be more than 600, or even 1,000. The dengue fever epidemic is severe,” he said.
The Department of Health said the number of confirmed indigenous cases of dengue fever has reached 284 so far this year, with most of the cases in Kaohsiung and Tainan city and county, while the number of imported dengue infections rose to 227, mainly from Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand.
Last year, the number of confirmed cases was 848, of which 204 came from abroad, it said.
The number of cases increased abruptly in the south after Typhoon Fanapi hit on Sept. 19, Yaung said, so on Sunday he went to Kaohsiung to review epidemic prevention work in the area.
Yaung said the department had set aside NT$1.44 million (US$46,000) for the Kaohsiung city and county governments to hire additional personnel to eradicate mosquito breeding grounds, and would continue to provide additional funding to local governments for such operations.
Additional reporting by CNA
LOW RISK: Most nations do not extradite people accused of political crimes, and the UN says extradition can only happen if the act is a crime in both countries, an official said China yesterday issued wanted notices for two Taiwanese influencers, accusing them of committing “separatist acts” by criticizing Beijing, amid broadening concerns over China’s state-directed transnational repression. The Quanzhou Public Security Bureau in a notice posted online said police are offering a reward of up to 25,000 yuan (US$3,523) for information that could contribute to the investigation or apprehension of pro-Taiwanese independence YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝),who is known as Pa Chiung (八炯) online, and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源). Wen and Chen are suspected of spreading content that supported secession from China, slandered Chinese policies that benefit Taiwanese and discrimination against Chinese spouses of
ALIGNED THINKING: Taiwan and Japan have a mutual interest in trade, culture and engineering, and can work together for stability, Cho Jung-tai said Taiwan and Japan are two like-minded countries willing to work together to form a “safety barrier” in the Indo-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday said at the opening ceremony of the 35th Taiwan-Japan Modern Engineering and Technology Symposium in Taipei. Taiwan and Japan are close geographically and closer emotionally, he added. Citing the overflowing of a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) in September, Cho said the submersible water level sensors given by Japan during the disaster helped Taiwan monitor the lake’s water levels more accurately. Japan also provided a lot of vaccines early in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,
PROMOTION: Travelers who want a free stopover must book their flights with designated travel agents, such as Lion Travel, Holiday Tours, Cola Tour and Life Tours Air Canada yesterday said it is offering Taiwanese travelers who are headed to North America free stopovers if they transit though airports in Japan and South Korea. The promotion was launched in response to a potential rise in demand for flights to North America in June and July next year, when the US, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to jointly host the FIFA World Cup, Air Canada said. Air Canada offers services to 13 of the 16 host cities of the tournament’s soccer games, including Toronto and Vancouver; Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Dallas; Houston;
The US approved the possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet spare and repair parts for US$330 million, the Pentagon said late yesterday, marking the first such potential transaction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. "The proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of the recipient's fleet of F-16, C-130," and other aircraft, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has told him he would not invade Taiwan while the Republican leader is in office. The announcement of the possible arms
RSS