World health officials yesterday admitted they were powerless to halt the spread of swine flu and ratcheted up their pandemic alert level as the number of affected countries rose sharply.
As Mexico, epicenter of the outbreak, said 152 people were now believed to have died from the virus, the number of known cases in the US more than doubled, while six other countries said they had confirmed their first casualties.
Authorities in Asia — where memories of the SARS outbreak in 2003 remain fresh — tried to contain the spread of the virus, screening air passengers from affected areas and advising against non-essential travel to Mexico.
But the WHO said that border screenings “don’t work,” while the EU’s health commissioner said there was no need for travel restrictions.
“Border controls do not work. Screening doesn’t work,” WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said in Geneva.
“If a person has been exposed or infected ... the person might not be symptomatic at the airport,” he said. “We learn as we go on. SARS was a huge learning experience for all of us.”
Keiji Fukuda, acting WHO assistant director-general for health, security and the environment, said late on Monday that given the widespread nature of the virus, all corners of the world are at potential risk.
“I think that in this age of global travel, where people move around in airplanes so quickly, there is no region to which this virus could not spread,” Fukuda said.
The outbreak was too “widespread to make containment a feasible” strategy, he added.
British tour operators, including Thomas Cook, halted holidays to Mexico after two people who returned to Scotland from a honeymoon in the resort town of Cancun fell ill with the swine flu virus.
Apart from Britain, the only confirmed case of the virus in Europe was in Spain, but suspected cases were being probed in Germany and Austria.
A total of 44 people are thought to have been infected in the US while Canada has six cases.
And in a further illustration of its global reach, Israel and New Zealand both confirmed their first swine flu patients.
In Asia, Thai medical authorities placed a woman in quarantine in hospital while South Korea investigated a “probable” victim.
Australia meanwhile probed 70 possible cases.
Also See: Asian countries working to keep swine flu at bay
Also See: Mexico faces heat over flu response
Also See: Swine flu outbreak hurting Mexico’s ailing economy
CELEBRATION: The PRC turned 75 on Oct. 1, but the Republic of China is older. The PRC could never be the homeland of the people of the ROC, Lai said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) could not be the “motherland” of the people of the Republic of China (ROC), President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks in a speech at a Double Ten National Day gala in Taipei, which is part of National Day celebrations that are to culminate in a fireworks display in Yunlin County on Thursday night next week. Lai wished the country a happy birthday and called on attendees to enjoy the performances and activities while keeping in mind that the ROC is a sovereign and independent nation. He appealed for everyone to always love their
‘EXTREME PRESSURE’: Beijing’s goal is to ‘force Taiwan to make mistakes,’ Admiral Tang Hua said, adding that mishaps could serve as ‘excuses’ for launching a blockade China’s authoritarian expansionism threatens not only Taiwan, but the rules-based international order, the navy said yesterday, after its top commander said in an interview that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could blockade the nation at will. The object of Beijing’s expansionist activities is not limited to Taiwan and its use of pressure is not confined to specific political groups or people, the navy said in a statement. China utilizes a mixture of cognitive warfare and “gray zone” military activities to pressure Taiwan, the navy said, adding that PLA sea and air forces are compressing the nation’s defensive depth. The navy continues to
MAKING PROGRESS: Officials and industry leaders who participated in a defense forum last month agreed that Taiwan has the capabilities to work with the US, the report said Taiwan’s high-tech defense industry is to enhance collaboration with the US to produce weapons needed for self-defense, the Ministry of National Defense said in a report to the Legislative Yuan. Deputy Minister of National Defense Hsu Yen-pu (徐衍璞) discussed building regional and global industry alliances with US partners at the US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference in Philadelphia held from Sept. 22 to Tuesday last week, the ministry said in the declassified portion of the report. The visit contributed to maintaining bilateral ties, facilitated Taiwan’s efforts to acquire weapons and equipment, and strengthened the resilience of the two nation’s defense industries, it said. Taiwan-US ties
CONCERNS: Allowing the government, political parties or the military to own up to 10 percent of a large media firm is a risk Taiwan cannot afford to take, a lawyer said A Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator has proposed amendments to allow the government, political parties and the military to indirectly invest in broadcast media, prompting concerns of potential political interference. Under Article 1 of the Satellite Broadcasting Act (衛星廣播電視法), the government and political parties — as well as foundations established with their endowments, and those commissioned by them — cannot directly or indirectly invest in satellite broadcasting businesses. A similar regulation is in the Cable Radio and Television Act (有線廣播電視法). “The purpose of banning the government, political parties and the military from investing in the media is to prevent them from interfering
RSS