There is no need to lock down Taipei, but the International Workers’ Day long weekend from May 1 to 3 should be postponed, a public health researcher said yesterday.
Although the spread of COVID-19 in Taiwan has not reached an extent that would necessitate the closure of any area, large crowds that gathered over the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday, which ends today, showed reduced vigilance among some people, National Taiwan University College of Public Health dean Chan Chang-chuan (詹長權) said.
This reduced vigilance increases the risk of the virus spreading, Chan said, adding that the government should push back national holidays to prevent crowds during the pandemic.
Social distancing is proving effective in fighting the virus’ spread worldwide, he said.
Taiwanese authorities are also aware of the effectiveness of distancing, which is why large events like the Matsu pilgrimage were either canceled or revamped this year, he said, adding that groups larger than 10 people posed many risks.
The Central Epidemic Command Center recommends keeping 1m between people while outdoors and 1.5m indoors, but he recommended a distance of 2m at all times, which would require about 16m2 per person, Chan said.
“In all places — night markets, tourist spots, etc — the government should determine how many people can safely be there at a time to maintain proper distancing,” he said.
Infected people might be asymptomatic, so large crowds present a risk of infection from someone who does not appear to be infected, he said.
In the US and Europe, COVID-19 spread quickly after people failed to avoid crowds and such a scenario could emerge in Taiwan if crowds — such as those at Kenting National Park and other tourist spots over the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday — recur, he said.
Strict measures are necessary to prevent such behavior during the pandemic period, he said.
Meanwhile, Asia University vice president Wu Tsung-neng (吳聰能) said that as long as mask supplies meet demand and there is no community transmission, there would be no need for a Taipei lockdown.
However, if the public does not demonstrate common sense and keeps gathering in crowds, the government should consider adjusting or canceling long holidays, he said.
US PUBLICATION: The results indicated a change in attitude after a 2023 survey showed 55 percent supported full-scale war to achieve unification, the report said More than half of Chinese were against the use of force to unify with Taiwan under any circumstances, a survey conducted by the Atlanta, Georgia-based Carter Center and Emory University found. The survey results, which were released on Wednesday in a report titled “Sovereignty, Security, & US-China Relations: Chinese Public Opinion,” showed that 55.1 percent of respondents agreed or somewhat agreed that “the Taiwan problem should not be resolved using force under any circumstances,” while 24.5 percent “strongly” or “somewhat” disagreed with the statement. The results indicated a change in attitude after a survey published in “Assessing Public Support for (Non)Peaceful Unification
The CIA has a message for Chinese government officials worried about their place in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) government: Come work with us. The agency released two Mandarin-language videos on social media on Thursday inviting disgruntled officials to contact the CIA. The recruitment videos posted on YouTube and X racked up more than 5 million views combined in their first day. The outreach comes as CIA Director John Ratcliffe has vowed to boost the agency’s use of intelligence from human sources and its focus on China, which has recently targeted US officials with its own espionage operations. The videos are “aimed at
‘MISGUIDED EDICT’: Two US representatives warned that Somalia’s passport move could result in severe retaliatory consequences and urged it to reverse its decision Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) has ordered that a special project be launched to counter China’s “legal warfare” distorting UN Resolution 2758, a foreign affairs official said yesterday. Somalia’s Civil Aviation Authority on Wednesday cited UN Resolution 2758 and Mogadishu’s compliance with the “one China” principle as it banned people from entering or transiting in the African nation using Taiwanese passports or other Taiwanese travel documents. The International Air Transport Association’s system shows that Taiwanese passport holders cannot enter Somalia or transit there. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) protested the move and warned Taiwanese against traveling to Somalia or Somaliland
SECURITY: Grassroots civil servants would only need to disclose their travel, while those who have access to classified information would be subject to stricter regulations The government is considering requiring legislators and elected officials to obtain prior approval before traveling to China to prevent Chinese infiltration, an official familiar with national security said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) in March announced 17 measures to counter China’s growing infiltration efforts, including requiring all civil servants to make trips to China more transparent so they can be held publicly accountable. The official said that the government is considering amending the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) to require all civil servants to follow strict regulations before traveling to China.
RSS