The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a draft to earmark NT$50 billion as an emergency fund to help combat severe acute respiratory disease (SARS) as the Cabinet upgraded the status of the SARS response taskforce, requiring it to report to the premier instead of the vice premier.
The Cabinet yesterday also included Macau in the newly implemented 10-day compulsory quarantine program. Both foreigners and Taiwanese coming from non-SARS affected areas or those who transfer in severely SARS affected areas are not covered by the program.
Addressing a press conference held after the extraordinary Cabinet meeting, Cabinet Spokesman Lin Chia-lung (
"We believe that the amount should be sufficient until the end of the year," Lin said.
"If it's not enough, we still have the NT$2 billion disaster fund and NT$7 billion secondary emergency fund at our disposal. If there's any money left-over (from the NT$50 billion), it'll go to the state coffers."
The fund, established under the draft bill of the SARS management decree approved during the emergency Cabinet meeting, will proceed to the legislature for further review and final approval. The Cabinet hopes to pass the legislation on Friday.
According to the draft bill, probable or suspected SARS patients who conceal their conditions will be subjected to a jail sentence of up to three years or a fine of up to NT$ 500,000.
Health authorities at all government levels are entitled to conduct quarantine or medical checks on specific transportation vehicles, its driver and passengers and goods on board.
If the owners of the vehicles reject such measures, they will receive a fine of between NT$60,000 and NT$300,000.
While the pan-blue camp has proposed to set aside NT$25 billion in its own version of the decree, the TSU has proposed a whopping NT$100 billion. The legislature is scheduled to conduct cross-party negotiations today.
According to Minister without Portfolio Hu Shan-jen (胡勝正), who is in charge of reviewing the draft, one third of the fund would be used for medical purposes, while the remaining two thirds would be for industries affected by the outbreak.
The Cabinet estimates that the GDP will remain at 3 percent if the outbreak is brought under control in three months.
If it drags on until the end of the year, GDP is projected to drop between 0.15 percent and 1.56 percent.
During yesterday's task force meeting, Premier Yu Shyi-kun said that the government does not rule out the possibility of imposing even stricter measures to curb the spread of SARS.
"If the prevention measures currently in place fail to effectively bring the SARS outbreak under control, I'm afraid we'll have to adopt more drastic measures," he said, adding that possible restriction measures may cover communities and public places.
Although the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that Vietnam is the world's first country to contain its SARS outbreak and lifts all advisories against travel to the country, Lin said that the visa measure will be implemented as promulgated.
According to the WHO, the situation in Vietnam has remained stable, at 63 cases and 5 deaths, for 18 consecutive days.
No new SARS cases have been reported in Vietnam since April 8. The nation, however, is still listed by the WHO as SARS affected area.
The task force, now presided over by Yu and composed of seven divisions, also decided to include Macau in the newly implemented 10-day compulsory quarantine program.
Exceptions for those under the program are people with special needs, such as pregnant women. They are, however, banned from taking the mass transportation system and going to public places when they go outside.
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