The government is considering whether to ban flights from the UK as other countries have done to stem the spread of a new strain of COVID-19 that is reportedly more infectious, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday, adding that the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) would make the final decision on the matter.
Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy and the Netherlands, are among the countries and areas that have placed travel curbs on the UK.
“We are discussing the latest developments with the CECC,” Lin told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Taipei.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Separately, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), head of the CECC, said that Taiwan currently has no plans to ban flights from the UK.
People traveling from the UK need to present a certificate showing that they have tested negative for COVID-19 in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test before they would be allowed to board a plane, he told reporters, adding that they must also undergo a 14-day quarantine upon arriving in Taiwan.
Lin was asked if the government would revise disease-
prevention regulations for pilots and flight attendants after three EVA Airways Corp (長榮航空) pilots tested positive for COVID-19 following a cargo flight duty to the US, becoming cases No. 760, 765 and 766.
A subsequent investigation by the CECC found that case No. 765, a New Zealander, did not wear a mask during the flight, despite having symptoms, and likely infected his coworkers on the flight.
Earlier this month, three EVA Air flight attendants and two China Airlines Ltd (中華航空) cabin crew members were found to have breached quarantine rules for airline workers.
“The government has set very clear disease-prevention guidelines to regulate workers in the civil aviation industry amid the pandemic. In view of the recent breaches by pilots and flight attendants, I have asked officials at the Civil Aeronautics Administration [CAA] and the ministry’s Department of Aviation and Navigation to propose revisions to the guidelines. We are communicating with CECC officials on how they should be executed,” Lin said, adding that the CAA has proposed several options.
Cargo pilots should also thoroughly adhere to the guidelines, and would be punished if they fail to follow regulations, he said.
Any breaches of disease-
prevention regulations could become a loophole causing the disease to spread, which would prompt the government to further tighten restrictions on airline workers, he added.
Currently, pilots and flight attendants are required to undergo quarantine for three days and five days respectively, he said.
EVA Air said in a statement that it has repeatedly reminded cabin crew members to strictly adhere to disease-prevention regulations in Taiwan and other countries, including wearing masks throughout a flight except when they are eating.
Those failing to follow regulations would be held accountable following an investigation, it said.
The Taoyuan Union of Pilots said that both airlines and flight crew members should cooperate with the CECC when it conducts contact tracing of COVID-19 patients.
“We want to remind all flight crew members that they need to abide by disease-prevention measures and heed personal health conditions before they report for duty. Pilots would only be considered to be acting professionally if they do not work when sick,” union said.
Cargo pilots need to follow quarantine rules to keep airlines operating, as carriers have suffered heavy losses due to reduced passenger traffic, the union said, adding that public support for cargo jet pilots would help sustain them during this difficult time.
Additional reporting by Lin Liang-sheng
Conflict with Taiwan could leave China with “massive economic disruption, catastrophic military losses, significant social unrest, and devastating sanctions,” a US think tank said in a report released on Monday. The German Marshall Fund released a report titled If China Attacks Taiwan: The Consequences for China of “Minor Conflict” and “Major War” Scenarios. The report details the “massive” economic, military, social and international costs to China in the event of a minor conflict or major war with Taiwan, estimating that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could sustain losses of more than half of its active-duty ground forces, including 100,000 troops. Understanding Chinese
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it is closely monitoring developments in Venezuela, and would continue to cooperate with democratic allies and work together for regional and global security, stability, and prosperity. The remarks came after the US on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was later flown to New York along with his wife. The pair face US charges related to drug trafficking and alleged cooperation with gangs designated as terrorist organizations. Maduro has denied the allegations. The ministry said that it is closely monitoring the political and economic situation
UNRELENTING: China attempted cyberattacks on Taiwan’s critical infrastructure 2.63 million times per day last year, up from 1.23 million in 2023, the NSB said China’s cyberarmy has long engaged in cyberattacks against Taiwan’s critical infrastructure, employing diverse and evolving tactics, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday, adding that cyberattacks on critical energy infrastructure last year increased 10-fold compared with the previous year. The NSB yesterday released a report titled Analysis on China’s Cyber Threats to Taiwan’s Critical Infrastructure in 2025, outlining the number of cyberattacks, major tactics and hacker groups. Taiwan’s national intelligence community identified a large number of cybersecurity incidents last year, the bureau said in a statement. China’s cyberarmy last year launched an average of 2.63 million intrusion attempts per day targeting Taiwan’s critical
‘SLICING METHOD’: In the event of a blockade, the China Coast Guard would intercept Taiwanese ships while its navy would seek to deter foreign intervention China’s military drills around Taiwan this week signaled potential strategies to cut the nation off from energy supplies and foreign military assistance, a US think tank report said. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted what it called “Justice Mission 2025” exercises from Monday to Tuesday in five maritime zones and airspace around Taiwan, calling them a warning to “Taiwanese independence” forces. In a report released on Wednesday, the Institute for the Study of War said the exercises effectively simulated blocking shipping routes to major port cities, including Kaohsiung, Keelung and Hualien. Taiwan would be highly vulnerable under such a blockade, because it
RSS