The Center for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday warned people against visiting southern Guang-dong Province between this month and January because of the increased possibility of SARS transmission from animals during this period.
"Southern Guangdong is more likely to see a resurgence of SARS than anywhere else in the world," center Director General Su Ih-jen (
Su said recent research indicated that the first seven cases of SARS in Guangdong had occurred independently of each other, adding that transmission from animals was a possible explanation for this result.
More than one-third of those who were diagnosed with SARS between November and February of last year were butchers, restaurant workers, farmers, market traders or others in the meat industry, Su said.
Department of Health Director General Chen Chien-jen (
The consumption of wild animals such as raccoon dogs, civets and ferret badgers, culinary delicacies in the area, usually increased during the winter season, he said. He warned those in the area to avoid eating wild animals and going to restaurants serving such dishes.
Beginning tomorrow, the department will begin a new phase of its SARS prevention plan. According to Chen, the 177 SARS information hotline was officially opened today.
Chen also reiterated that individuals over the age of 65 should receive flu vaccinations as soon as possible.
Su further confirmed that the virus strains being used in the vaccinations were preventing the most common flu strains this season.
"Usually, there is a small increase of flu incidents before a drastic increase later in the year. From the recent incidents, we can confirm that the type A H3N2 Panama virus strain is the strain most widely transmitted in Taiwan," Su said.
The vaccines being adminis-tered were appropriate to prevent this virus strain, he said.
The department said that an outbreak of an unidentified flu strain had affected Guangzhou and Beijing during the past two weeks. According to the department, more than 1,000 people have caught flu in the two cities. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration.
According to Su, a similar outbreak hit Beijing around the same time last year, adding that the new outbreak was probably caused by a new virus strain.
Chen assured the public that the outbreak was probably not related to SARS, explaining that the outbreak was most rampant in children, whereas children are not as susceptible to SARS.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) hosted a dinner in Taipei last night with key Taiwanese suppliers to celebrate the successful mass production of the company’s new Blackwell AI systems. Speaking to the media earlier yesterday, Huang thanked Nvidia’s Taiwanese partners for their contributions to the company’s ecosystem, while also sharing his plans to meet with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) founder Morris Chang (張忠謀). In response to rumors that Nvidia will launch a downgraded Hopper H20 chip for China in July, Huang dismissed the reports, saying, “That is not true.” He clarified that there
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Friday laid out the Cabinet’s updated policy agenda and recapped the government’s achievements ahead of the one-year anniversary of President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration. Cho said the government had made progress across a range of areas, including rebuilding Hualien, cracking down on fraud, improving pedestrian safety and promoting economic growth. “I hope the public will not have the impression that the Cabinet only asked the legislature to reconsider a bunch of legal amendments,” Cho said, calling the moves “necessary” to protect constitutional governance and the public’s interest. The Cabinet would work toward achieving its “1+7” plan, he said. The
RSS