The Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday that the nation could expect to be removed from the World Health Organization's (WHO) list of acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) afflicted areas in 15 days.
DOH Deputy Director-General Lee Lung-teng (
PHOTO: REUTERS
"According to the WHO, if no probable cases have been reported in an area for more than 20 days, the area will no longer be listed as an affected area," Lee said.
By that standard, Taiwan will no longer be a SARS-affected area if no probable cases are reported by April 30.
Although Taiwan, the US and the UK are on the WHO's list of affected areas, the world health body distinguishes them from other affected areas because local transmission in them is limited.
According to the WHO, no evidence of international spread of the disease to these three places has been reported since March 15. No transmission other than close person-to-person contact has been reported in these areas either.
Lee said laboratory test results due soon might help determine whether the strength of the causative virus has been declining here, but he said the nation's SARS crisis could expect to be relieved in early June.
"It should be safe for foreigners to do business or travel in Taiwan now," he said, noting that the government has imposed strict measures to combat the spread of the disease.
"For example, anyone entering or leaving the country now is required to fill out SARS survey forms. We have also established standard procedures for international airlines on how to disinfect their planes," Lee said.
He called for the public not to discriminate against visitors from SARS-affected areas.
"The health of all travelers has been strictly screened before they are allowed to enter the country. There should be no concern about their health," he said.
Meanwhile, the Center for Disease Control said that as of yesterday afternoon 156 possible SARS cases have been reported, of which 23 are probable cases and 41 are suspect cases.
The center said 79 cases have been ruled out as being SARS and tests are still being conducted on 13 cases.
Eight of the 23 people diagnosed as probable cases have been discharged from hospitals, while 74 of the 156 reported cases have also been discharged.
CDC Director-General Chen Tzay-jinn (
Chen said there is still a risk of more probable SARS cases nationwide because China-based busi-nesspeople from Taiwan are permitted to travel freely between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Chen said the government would have to wait until all the probable cases have recovered before writing to the WHO to ask it to remove the nation from its list of SARS-affected areas
TYPHOON: The storm’s path indicates a high possibility of Krathon making landfall in Pingtung County, depending on when the storm turns north, the CWA said Typhoon Krathon is strengthening and is more likely to make landfall in Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said in a forecast released yesterday afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the CWA’s updated sea warning for Krathon showed that the storm was about 430km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point. It was moving in west-northwest at 9kph, with maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts of up to 155kph, CWA data showed. Krathon is expected to move further west before turning north tomorrow, CWA forecaster Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) said. The CWA’s latest forecast and other countries’ projections of the storm’s path indicate a higher
SLOW-MOVING STORM: The typhoon has started moving north, but at a very slow pace, adding uncertainty to the extent of its impact on the nation Work and classes have been canceled across the nation today because of Typhoon Krathon, with residents in the south advised to brace for winds that could reach force 17 on the Beaufort scale as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecast that the storm would make landfall there. Force 17 wind with speeds of 56.1 to 61.2 meters per second, the highest number on the Beaufort scale, rarely occur and could cause serious damage. Krathon could be the second typhoon to land in southwestern Taiwan, following typhoon Elsie in 1996, CWA records showed. As of 8pm yesterday, the typhoon’s center was 180km
TYPHOON DAY: Taitung, Pingtung, Tainan, Chiayi, Hualien and Kaohsiung canceled work and classes today. The storm is to start moving north this afternoon The outer rim of Typhoon Krathon made landfall in Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) at about noon yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, adding that the eye of the storm was expected to hit land tomorrow. The CWA at 2:30pm yesterday issued a land alert for Krathon after issuing a sea alert on Sunday. It also expanded the scope of the sea alert to include waters north of Taiwan Strait, in addition to its south, from the Bashi Channel to the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島). As of 6pm yesterday, the typhoon’s center was 160km south of
STILL DANGEROUS: The typhoon was expected to weaken, but it would still maintain its structure, with high winds and heavy rain, the weather agency said One person had died amid heavy winds and rain brought by Typhoon Krathon, while 70 were injured and two people were unaccounted for, the Central Emergency Operation Center said yesterday, while work and classes have been canceled nationwide today for the second day. The Hualien County Fire Department said that a man in his 70s had fallen to his death at about 11am on Tuesday while trimming a tree at his home in Shoufeng Township (壽豐). Meanwhile, the Yunlin County Fire Department received a report of a person falling into the sea at about 1pm on Tuesday, but had to suspend search-and-rescue
RSS