The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported no new COVID-19 infections, marking the 14th consecutive day that no domestic cases had been reported in Taiwan.
The nation has 429 confirmed cases — out of 60,459 suspected cases — including six deaths and 281 who were removed from isolation after treatment, said Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center.
Of the confirmed cases, 343 are imported, 55 are domestic and 31 are crew members of the navy supply vessel Panshih (磐石), he said.
Photo: Chang Chung-yi, Taipei Times
“People who are planning to travel during the upcoming Workers’ Day long weekend still have to practice social distancing, wear a mask, and maintain good personal and environmental hygiene,” Chen said. “These measures are still very important.”
Many people were worried about widespread local infections after large crowds gathered at scenic spots during the Tomb Sweeping Day long weekend earlier this month, but no domestic cases have been reported for 14 consecutive days, which shows that the nation is relatively safe, he added.
“This safety relies on the cautiousness of people and would not exist if everyone let their guard down, so people must remain vigilant,” Chen said.
Transportation authorities and police are cooperating to control vehicle traffic and people flow at many tourist spots, he said.
People can use the Freeway Bureau’s Freeway 1968 (高速公路1968) mobile app to find out whether the number of vehicles or visitors at a scenic area has exceeded the alert level and whether they should avoid that area.
Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen (陳宗彥), deputy head of the center, said that traffic and crowd control measures were implemented at national parks and scenic areas after the Tomb Sweeping Day weekend.
The center has asked market development associations to help implement crowd control measures at night markets, traditional markets and shopping areas, he said.
Taiwan has achieved an outstanding result in preventing a COVID-19 outbreak so far, because a specialist panel has provided the CECC with correct information to help it draw up disease prevention strategies in a timely manner, while the Centers for Disease Control and local health departments have carefully conducted contact investigations, Chen Tsung-yen said.
Efficient cooperation among ministries, local governments and police departments to monitor and provide services to people under home isolation or quarantine also contributed to the nation’s successful disease prevention record, allowing most people to continue their daily lives without being affected too much by the disease, he added.
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon yesterday morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan from tomorrow to Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was approximately 950km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, the CWA said. It is expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, it said. The agency said it could issue a sea warning in the early hours of today and a land warning in the afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving at
DISCONTENT: The CCP finds positive content about the lives of the Chinese living in Taiwan threatening, as such video could upset people in China, an expert said Chinese spouses of Taiwanese who make videos about their lives in Taiwan have been facing online threats from people in China, a source said yesterday. Some young Chinese spouses of Taiwanese make videos about their lives in Taiwan, often speaking favorably about their living conditions in the nation compared with those in China, the source said. However, the videos have caught the attention of Chinese officials, causing the spouses to come under attack by Beijing’s cyberarmy, they said. “People have been messing with the YouTube channels of these Chinese spouses and have been harassing their family members back in China,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said there are four weather systems in the western Pacific, with one likely to strengthen into a tropical storm and pose a threat to Taiwan. The nascent tropical storm would be named Usagi and would be the fourth storm in the western Pacific at the moment, along with Typhoon Yinxing and tropical storms Toraji and Manyi, the CWA said. It would be the first time that four tropical cyclones exist simultaneously in November, it added. Records from the meteorology agency showed that three tropical cyclones existed concurrently in January in 1968, 1991 and 1992.
GEOPOLITICAL CONCERNS: Foreign companies such as Nissan, Volkswagen and Konica Minolta have pulled back their operations in China this year Foreign companies pulled more money from China last quarter, a sign that some investors are still pessimistic even as Beijing rolls out stimulus measures aimed at stabilizing growth. China’s direct investment liabilities in its balance of payments dropped US$8.1 billion in the third quarter, data released by the Chinese State Administration of Foreign Exchange showed on Friday. The gauge, which measures foreign direct investment (FDI) in China, was down almost US$13 billion for the first nine months of the year. Foreign investment into China has slumped in the past three years after hitting a record in 2021, a casualty of geopolitical tensions,