Masks are no longer to be required in medical institutions from Sunday next week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced yesterday, officially ending all COVID-19 mask restrictions.
Masks would be recommended rather than mandatory in all medical institutions and centers for the elderly, CDC Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said following an expert meeting to assess the COVID-19 situation.
The decision was made after considering similar policies set by the WHO, as well as the US, UK and other nations, Tseng said.
Photo: CNA
Under the guidelines, those exhibiting respiratory symptoms should not enter medical institutions unless necessary, but if they do, they should wear a mask until at least five days after symptoms ease.
Those who have had close contact with someone exhibiting respiratory symptoms and those at high risk of developing complications are also advised to wear a mask in medical institutions, the guidelines say.
Those younger than two or who have trouble wearing a mask should cover their mouth with tissue paper when coughing or sneezing, and dispose of it after use.
Meanwhile, a statement about expiration dates on the 10 million free COVID-19 tests that the CDC plans to distribute to more than 4,500 National Health Insurance-contracted pharmacies nationwide has sparked concern among members of the public.
The 10 million kits have expiration dates ranging from the end of May to December, and 1.5 million of them would be effective until the end of December, but the majority of the kits would expire by the end of June, the CDC said on Tuesday.
Members of the public are concerned whether the efficacy of the test kits would be affected.
Food and Drug Administration Deputy Director-General Wang Te-yuan (王德原) yesterday said that “close to expiry” means the rapid test kits have not yet expired and can be used normally.
“If the test kits have expired, it is advised to dispose of them as general waste and refrain from using them,” he said.
Additional reporting by CNA
‘NO SECURITY RISK’: The Railway Bureau reassured the public that the technicians’ activities were limited to technical guidance and did not involve sensitive systems The Railway Bureau yesterday said it had invited eight Chinese technicians to assist with an airport MRT construction project. The bureau issued the confirmation after an Internet user said Chinese nationals had entered the construction zone of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 project. They asked why “individuals from an enemy state” were allowed access to such a major national infrastructure project, which raised serious concerns over Taiwan’s industrial safety, sensitive systems and information security. The bureau’s Northern Region Engineering Branch Office said subcontractor Taiwan Handle Industrial Co (台灣手把工業) of the Taoyuan airport MRT’s “Contract No. CU05 Project A14 Station Civil, MEP &
A US uncrewed surface vessel (USV) encountered multiple Chinese warships during an autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait, US defense company Seasats said in a statement on Wednesday. Seasats announced that a Lightfish USV had completed the first autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait. Over five days, the USV traversed the entire length of the Strait while constantly monitoring surface vessel traffic, the company said. The Lightfish encountered multiple Chinese warships, one of which was a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 056 corvette, it said. The Chinese vessels were operating “well within Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone without transmitting their identity via the
Taiwan is still in the process of assessing the possibility of recruiting workers from Eswatini, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, adding that its goal is to help Eswatini upgrade its vocational training centers. If there are plans to recruit workers from Eswatini, safeguarding national security, protecting public health and ensuring the employment rights of Taiwanese would be prerequisites, Department of West Asian and African Affairs Director-General Yen Chia-liang (顏嘉良) told a news conference. Key considerations would also include filling labor shortages in specific industries, and fostering bilateral professional and technical exchanges, he said. Yen was asked about the progress of labor
‘BOOMING’: ’ The number of partners we have here is incredible. You can see from their stock prices. They’re doing so well, they’re so happy,’ Jensen Huang said Nvidia Corp’s spending in Taiwan has ballooned to about US$150 billion a year, 10 times the US$10 billion to US$15 billion the company spent five years ago, Nvidia chief executive officer Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) said yesterday, suggesting Taiwan’s strategic importance in the global artificial intelligence (AI) supply chain. “Taiwan is the epicenter of the AI revolution. This is where the chips come, packaging comes. This is where the systems are made. This is where AI supercomputers were created,” Huang said at a meeting for the company’s employees in Beitou-Shilin Technology Park (北投士林科技園區) in Taipei, the planned site of Nvidia’s Taipei headquarters. “Taiwan
RSS