Authorities have been investigating a spate of rumors and misinformation related to the COVID-19 outbreak, with prosecutors yesterday questioning five people for allegedly disseminating messages claiming that a new virus case involves military personnel at Hsinchu Air Force Base.
An investigation was initiated after verifying with health authorities and base officials that the messages are false, Hsinchu City Police Precinct Chief Teng Hsueh-hsin (鄧學鑫) said.
“The messages began circulating on Wednesday on [messaging app] Line groups and other social media platforms,” Teng said. “Five suspects, including a man surnamed Yu (余), were identified and detained.”
Photo copied by Tsai Chang-sheng, Taipei Times
Police later transferred the five to prosecutors for questioning, he said, adding that they face charges for spreading rumors and misinformation under Article 63 of the Communicable Disease Control Act (傳染病防治法), which carries fines of up to NT$3 million (US$98,674).
In Taipei, Criminal Investigation Bureau officers questioned a teenager, who allegedly spread rumors and misinformation about the virus on social media.
Central Epidemic Command Center staff monitoring social media and online news related to COVID-19 reported the girl’s activity. The junior-high school student became the nation’s youngest person to be investigated for spreading rumors and misinformation about the disease.
“The girl shared a message on video-sharing platform TikTok claiming that ‘hundreds of people in Taiwan have died from the Wuhan virus,’ which was accompanied by pictures,” an official said.
The girl reportedly admitted to producing the message and was quoted as saying that she did it to boost the number of her subscribers.
Police urged parents to check their children’s Internet and social media usage, and warn them against disseminating rumors and misinformation.
In other developments, the Ministry of Justice’s Investigation Bureau on Thursday detained two men who allegedly said on Facebook that a relative of Taiwan’s 19th confirmed case, who was the nation’s first fatality from COVID-19, was being treated at a hospital in Taichung’s Fongyuan District (豐原).
After verifying with local health authorities that the claim was false, bureau officials said that they identified the two men, who face charges.
Taipei police yesterday also questioned a man surnamed Liu (劉) for allegedly spreading a rumor on Facebook that a woman in her 60s was taken to a hospital in Nangang District (南港) and that “she is reportedly a confirmed case, so everyone please take precautions.”
After verifying that the information was false, police located Liu, who is to face charges for breaching Article 63 of the act.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS