Staff at the Republic of China embassy in Palau are to be screened in the coming days, after 24 navy personnel from a “Friendship Flotilla” that visited the nation last month tested positive for COVID-19, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday as lawmakers pressed the government to help Palau test its people.
The 24 are all crew members from the supply ship Panshih (磐石) that was part of the three-vessel flotilla, which visited Palau from March 12 to 15, the Central Epidemic Command Center has said.
During yesterday’s meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟) asked about the health of Ambassador to Palau Wallace Chow (周民淦) and the rest of the embassy staff.
Photo taken from Ambassador to Palau Wallace Chow’s Facebook page
Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Director-General Baushuan Ger (葛葆萱) said that all embassy personnel were reported to be in sound health, but that the ministry would screen them for COVID-19 in the next few days.
The Palauan Ministry of Health was making similar arrangements, he added.
Shin Kong Wu Ho-su Memorial Hospital has been working with Palau’s government since April 9 on COVID-19 testing, and all the tests as of the middle of the month were negative, he said.
Chao said the ministry should suggest to Palau that all Palauan officials who had contact with Taiwanese officials and navy personnel during the ships’ visit be screened.
DPP Legislator Tsai Shih-ying (蔡適應) said that the government should send a medical team to Palau to help it with testing.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) said he would convey the suggestion to the Ministry of Health and Welfare and they would review the possibilities.
Palauan Minister of Health Emais Roberts yesterday said that the government would stay in touch with Taiwan during its investigation into the outbreak, which was most likely a “ship cluster” contained within the ship.
More than a month had passed since the ships visited, he said, and no one in Palau has tested positive or shown any symptoms of the disease.
“There is little chance that the virus on the vessels came from Palau,” he said in a statement. “There is no reason for us in Palau to panic.”
Additional reporting by Reuters
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