Nearly 5,000 people reported flu symptoms last week, representing a “small wave” of infections, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced yesterday.
The centers last week launched enhanced preventive measures, including expanding a program that provides government-funded specialized anti-viral agents for people with flu symptoms to prevent the spread of viruses before and during the Dragon Boat Festival long weekend.
However, the total number of flu cases reported nationwide last week reached 70,107, a rise of 7.1 percent from the week before, or 4,669 cases, with 21 clustered outbreaks of upper respiratory and flu infections, of which 15 were on school campuses, the centers said.
Incidents of serious flu complications have also been increasing, with 34 new cases reported last week, including five people under 18 years old, the majority of them influenza A virus subtype H3N2 infections, the centers said.
Three people died from flu complications last week, the centers said.
Two of the people had influenza A and one had influenza B, the centers said, adding that they were all aged between 59 and 89 and had not received flu vaccinations this year.
Influenza A is the dominant strain spreading within communities, and antigenic analysis over the past four weeks showed that 71 percent of the circulating type A viruses are covered by the vaccines administered this season, CDC Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said.
The centers again urged the public to practice good personal hygiene and wear a facial mask when suffering from respiratory infections, to cover the nose and mouth when sneezing, and to seek medical attention if they have flu symptoms.
In related news, the centers raised its epidemic travel advisory for India to “watch” — the lowest level — due to reported cases of the Zika virus.
Pregnant women or women who are planning to get pregnant should avoid traveling to the country, the centers said, adding that if their journeys are unavoidable they should take precautions against mosquito bites.
It also urged people returning to Taiwan who believe they have Zika symptoms to report to an airport quarantine station, or describe their travel history to doctors when they seek medical attention.
Restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County are to be included in the Michelin Guide’s review for the first time this year, alongside existing entries from Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, the France-based culinary publication said yesterday. This year’s edition of the Michelin Guide Taiwan is to be unveiled on Aug. 19 in Taipei. In addition to the coveted star ratings, Michelin Taiwan would announce its “Bib Gourmand” selections — a distinction awarded to establishments offering high-quality food at moderate prices — on Aug. 12. This year’s Bib Gourmand list would also feature restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu
A firefighter yesterday died after falling into New Taipei City's Xindian River when a rescue dinghy capsized during a search mission for a man who was later found dead. The New Taipei City Fire Department said that it received a report at 4:12pm that a 50-year-old man, surnamed Chen (陳), had fallen into the river. A 32-year-old firefighter, surnamed Wu (吳), was among the rescuers deployed to look for Chen, the fire department said, adding that he and five other rescue personnel were in the dinghy when it capsized. Wu had no vital signs after being pulled from the water to the
Organizing one national referendum and 26 recall elections targeting Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators could cost NT$1.62 billion (US$55.38 million), the Central Election Commission said yesterday. The cost of each recall vote ranges from NT$16 million to NT$20 million, while that of a national referendum is NT$1.1 billion, the commission said. Based on the higher estimate of NT$20 million per recall vote, if all 26 confirmed recall votes against KMT legislators are taken into consideration, along with the national referendum on restarting the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, the total could be as much as NT$1.62 billion, it said. The commission previously announced
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday welcomed NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s remarks that the organization’s cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners must be deepened to deter potential threats from China and Russia. Rutte on Wednesday in Berlin met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ahead of a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of Germany’s accession to NATO. He told a post-meeting news conference that China is rapidly building up its armed forces, and the number of vessels in its navy outnumbers those of the US Navy. “They will have another 100 ships sailing by 2030. They now have 1,000 nuclear warheads,” Rutte said, adding that such
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