The Central Epidemic Control Center (CECC) yesterday raised its travel advisory for Hong Kong and Macau to the highest level, urging people to “avoid nonessential travel” to the territories.
It also announced six conditions for Chinese to extend their stays in Taiwan, and said that it would allow Chinese children of Taiwanese and Chinese couples to enter Taiwan under special circumstances.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), head of the center, said there have been confirmed cases of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) with an unspecified infection source, as well as clustered cases, in Hong Kong.
The center raised its travel advisory for Singapore to level 2 — “practice enhanced precautions” — as more than half of the confirmed cases there were indigenous cases and a cluster was traced to a business meeting in Singapore, Chen said.
The city-state has many free-trade zones with high trading volumes and 45 cases have been confirmed in a population of about 5.6 million people, which might suggest a higher risk of infection, he added.
The center also issued a level 1 travel advisory — “practice usual precautions” — for Thailand, as confirmed cases with an unspecified infection source have been reported there and the country has not taken border control measures against visitors from China.
“There is a high risk of infection on airplanes, so we advise people to avoid taking unnecessary flights,” Chen said. “If travel is unavoidable, they should wear a mask throughout the flight.”
Starting today, Chinese visiting Taiwan may extend their stays for 15 days under six conditions, with each application to be evaluated by the National Immigration Agency (NIA), Mainland Affairs Council Department of Legal Affairs head Tsai Ji-ru (蔡志儒) said.
People with business contracts to fulfill in Taiwan, employees of multinational corporations who have been transferred, people on investment or management programs, expatriates, people joining family and those who are on short-term visas to visit relatives can apply for an extension.
NIA Entry and Exit Affairs Division Director Ko Kuang-wei (葛廣薇) said that the applications must be made in person at NIA service stations, and a fee of NT$300 would be charged for each application.
There are about 10,000 people who meet the conditions, Ko added.
As Chinese have been temporarily banned from entering Taiwan, exceptions would be made for Chinese minor children of Taiwanese and Chinese couples, Tsai said.
However, the children must have an Alien Resident Certificate or a long-term visa for visiting family or relatives, Tsai said, adding that the children would be placed in home quarantine for 14 days after arriving in Taiwan.
The CECC said that there were 95 reported cases of severe pneumonia with unknown pathogens nationwide on Monday.
There were a total of 1,617 reports, including 18 people confirmed with 2019-nCoV, and 1,445 people who tested negative, with the rest remaining under quarantine for testing, the center said.
A total of 383 people who had come into contact with confirmed cases are still under home isolation, including 13 people with symptoms, of whom 11 tested negative and two were awaiting results, it said.
Four evacuees who arrived in Taiwan on a charter flight from Wuhan are still in isolation rooms for further testing, the center added.
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
RULES BROKEN: The MAC warned Chinese not to say anything that would be harmful to the autonomous status of Taiwan or undermine its sovereignty A Chinese couple accused of disrupting a pro-democracy event in Taipei organized by Hong Kong residents has been deported, the National Immigration Agency said in a statement yesterday afternoon. A Chinese man, surnamed Yao (姚), and his wife were escorted by immigration officials to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, where they boarded a flight to China before noon yesterday, the agency said. The agency said that it had annulled the couple’s entry permits, citing alleged contraventions of the Regulations Governing the Approval of Entry of People of the Mainland Area into the Taiwan Area (大陸地區人民進入台灣地區許可辦法). The couple applied to visit a family member in
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
RSS