The Taipei Department of Health yesterday said it has set up a winter protection emergency response task force as temperatures continue to fall across the nation, while the Taipei City Hospital urged people to be aware of emotional changes caused by the weather.
The department said that it established the task force on Saturday and that its personnel are working in shifts responding to calls at Taipei City Hall (02-2722-6497) between 10am and 10pm.
People can also call a 24-hour hotline (1999) to report emergencies, it said.
The city’s special care services for homeless and disadvantaged people were activated on Monday last week, and the temporary shelters are to be kept open as long as temperatures remain below 12°C, Taipei Department of Social Welfare Commissioner Hsu Li-min (許立民) said.
Meanwhile, the Taipei City Hospital said that the human body consumes more energy to keep warm when the weather is cold, causing the immune system to become less effective in fighting germs and viruses.
As a result, people are more likely to fall ill and being ill can make people feel depressed or disturbed, it said.
Moreover, social interactions might be reduced on rainy days as people are less willing to go out, but social interaction is an effective method to prevent depression, so prolonged cold and rainy weather might make people feel anxious, frustrated or upset, it added.
The lack of sunlight during winter has the greatest effect on people’s emotions, as exposure to sunlight triggers the production of serotonin, also known as the feel-good hormone, while its absence causes the body to secrete melatonin, a hormone that induces sleep, the hospital said.
It urged people to keep warm and try to motivate themselves to go outdoors and engage in social activities even on rainy days, while trying to get as much sunlight as possible during the winter to avoid seasonal affective disorder, also known as winter depression.
In related news, the Central Weather Bureau has forecast low temperatures nationwide for yesterday and today, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said, adding that it on Jan. 25 informed local governments to be prepared to activate special services to help homeless and disadvantaged people when the temperature drops below 10°C.
As of yesterday, local governments nationwide have distributed 16,950 hot meals and 9,384 items of warm clothing or other winter necessities, and provided shelter to 1,584 people, the ministry said.
Local governments have also increased their visits to elderly people living alone to check on them and remind them to keep warm, the ministry added.
People with hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and hypertension have increased risk of sustaining a heart attack or stroke in cold weather, so they should especially keep warm, it said.
The ministry also urged people to call local social welfare departments or its social welfare consultation hotline (1957) if they see people who need help.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
The Taipei Summer Festival is to begin tomorrow at Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕), featuring four themed firework shows and five live music performances throughout the month, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said today. The festival in the city’s Datong District (大同) is to run until Aug. 30, holding firework displays on Wednesdays and the final Saturday of the event. The first show is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by Aug. 13, 20 and 30. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Disney Pixar's movie Toy Story, the festival has partnered with Walt Disney Co (Taiwan) to host a special themed area on
BE CAREFUL: The virus rarely causes severe illness or death, but newborns, older people and those with medical conditions are at risk of more severe illness As more than 7,000 cases of chikungunya fever have been reported in China’s Guangdong Province this year, including 2,892 new cases last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said it is monitoring the situation and considering raising the travel notice level, which might be announced today. The CDC issued a level 1 travel notice, or “watch,” for Guangdong Province on July 22, citing an outbreak in Foshan, a manufacturing hub in the south of the province, that was reported early last month. Between July 27 and Saturday, the province reported 2,892 new cases of chikungunya, reaching a total of 7,716
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
RSS