An emergency bird-flu meeting of Asian ministers and international health experts went ahead yesterday, even though the Thai capital was declared a "danger zone" from the disease that has hit at least 10 countries.
The bird flu, which has raced through Asia's poultry farms and killed at least 10 people, previously had struck Thailand's countryside only. But in awkward timing for Thai officials fending off allegations they initially covered up an outbreak, Bangkok officials said the virus was detected in a fighting cock and other fowl around the sprawling metropolis. Officials also announced that the disease had now been detected in about one-third of Thailand's provinces.
The World Health Organization's (WHO) regional director Shigeru Omi warned yesterday, "There's always potential for this kind of outbreak to result in serious global pandemic, which involves not hundreds, but could kill millions of people globally."
Across Asia, millions of chickens and ducks have been killed -- by the disease or in government-ordered culls aimed at containing it.
The virus has jumped to people in Vietnam and Thailand. Vietnam announced two more deaths from the disease yesterday, bringing the country's total to eight. Two others have died in Thailand. Most cases have been traced to direct contact with sick birds and many victims have been young children.
China announced yesterday it had slaughtered nearly 60,000 chickens in a campaign against bird flu, trying to assure the public the disease was under control a day after the country's first cases were confirmed in ducks.
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South Korea has adjusted its electronic arrival card system to no longer list Taiwan as a part of China, a move that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said would help facilitate exchanges between the two sides. South Korea previously listed “Taiwan” as “Taiwan (China)” in the drop-down menus of its online arrival card system, where people had to fill out where they came from and their next destination. The ministry had requested South Korea make a revision and said it would change South Korea’s name on Taiwan’s online immigration system from “Republic of Korea” to “Korea (South),” should the issue not be
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Tainan, Taipei and New Taipei City recorded the highest fines nationwide for illegal accommodations in the first quarter of this year, with fines issued in the three cities each exceeding NT$7 million (US$220,639), Tourism Administration data showed. Among them, Taipei had the highest number of illegal short-term rental units, with 410. There were 3,280 legally registered hotels nationwide in the first quarter, down by 14 properties, or 0.43 percent, from a year earlier, likely indicating operators exiting the market, the agency said. However, the number of unregistered properties rose to 1,174, including 314 illegal hotels and 860 illegal short-term rental
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