HEALTHCARE
Flu cases drop 17.4%
The number of new patients seeking medical treatment for influenza-like symptoms dropped 17.4 percent last week, indicating the flu season is coming to an end, a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) official said yesterday. The number of new flu-like infection cases fell to 75,127 in the period from July 30 to Saturday last week from 90,917 the previous week, CDC Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said, citing the agency’s latest statistics.
EDUCATION
Language program launched
The Ministry of Education on Tuesday launched a Fun Taiwan-style Mandarin learning program, inviting people overseas to learn about and experience the nation through a combination of language learning and tours. The Mandarin On-the-Go in Taiwan program was introduced at a news conference at Taipei’s Huashan Creative Park. The program is made of four “learning Mandarin” travel packages that cover Taipei, Kaohsiung, Changhua and Hualien, the ministry said. It said it hopes the program will maximize the effects of Chinese language learning through attractive and cultural tours, while encouraging those interested in visiting the nation to immerse themselves in local culture. The four packages are to available from Sept. 1 until July 31 next year. Details of the program are available on the ministry’s Web site (www.mgt.org.tw), where those interested can also sign up for the packages.
SOCIETY
Iowa inks license deal
Iowa on Monday signed a reciprocal driver’s license agreement with Taiwan in the US state, removing the requirement of a road test for those eligible from either side. With the signing of the deal, Iowa became the 23rd US state to enter into such an agreement. Under the agreement, which took effect immediately, Taiwanese living in Iowa and holding a valid Taiwanese driver’s license will be exempt from the road test when they apply for a license there, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago said. They will be able to get a standard, Class C driver’s license in Iowa after passing a written test and a vision test, the office said. Similarly, Iowans with permission to reside in Taiwan for at least a year will be entitled to reciprocal treatment, it said.
DIPLOMACY
Mayor departs for Japan
Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) yesterday departed for Japan on a trip aimed at obtaining ideas for infrastructure and economic development and strengthening friendships. Cheng told reporters at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport before his departure that his delegation would visit several prefectures, paying special attention to their art, culture, tourism, energy systems and agriculture. In Osaka and Kyoto, the delegation is to look at public infrastructure, commerce and culture, with the hope of getting ideas that can be applied in Taoyuan, he said. In Kagawa and Chiba, which have had numerous exchanges with Taoyuan in recent years, the focus will be on their use of art and culture to boost tourism, as well as building relationships, Cheng said. The delegation is also to visit the cities of Chiba and Narita, which have friendly-city agreements with Taoyuan. The group is to observe their development in the areas of logistics, solar energy and tourism, he said.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese