The Taiwan Blood Services Foundation yesterday called on people to donate blood, as stocks for all types are low.
Demand for type O blood is the highest, but nationwide there is just enough for 4.9 days, 13,000 bags short of safety levels, while supplies of type A, type B and Type AB are all below the seven-day safety level, the data showed.
Demand is highest in Taipei, with stocks of O, A, B and AB enough for between three and five days, foundation public relations director Li Lei (黎蕾) said.
Photo: Hung Mei-hsiu, Taipei Times
Blood stock levels have been falling since the COVID-19 pandemic began, she said, adding that Taiwanese who return from nations listed under the government’s level 2 travel advisory are banned from donating blood for 28 days, which has affected about 1,000 to 2,000 potential donors.
The cancelation of blood drives has contributed to the shortage, although even when collection drives have been held, turnout has been low, she said.
People should not worry about donation stations’ hygienic practices, as disinfection measures are fully implemented.
Meanwhile, Democratic Progressive Party Hsinchu City councilors Shih Nai-ju (施乃如) and Lee Yen-hui (李妍慧) urged people to donate on Saturday during a drive at Big City shopping mall sponsored by the Hsinchu Blood Center and Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corp.
Those who donate 250cc or more would receive prizes such as instant noodles or a poster signed by Taiwan Beer basketball player Wang Tzu-kang (王子綱).
Additional reporting by Hung Mei-hsiu
The manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter. The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said. The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
A group from the Taiwanese Designers in Australia association yesterday represented Taiwan at the Midsumma Pride March in Melbourne. The march, held in the St. Kilda suburb, is the city’s largest LGBTQIA+ parade and the flagship event of the annual Midsumma Festival. It attracted more than 45,000 spectators who supported the 400 groups and 10,000 marchers that participated this year, the association said. Taiwanese Designers said they organized a team to march for Taiwan this year, joining politicians, government agencies, professionals and community organizations in showing support for LGBTQIA+ people and diverse communities. As the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex
MOTIVES QUESTIONED The PLA considers Xi’s policies toward Taiwan to be driven by personal considerations rather than military assessment, the Epoch Times reports Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) latest purge of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) leadership might have been prompted by the military’s opposition to plans of invading Taiwan, the Epoch Times said. The Chinese military opposes waging war against Taiwan by a large consensus, putting it at odds with Xi’s vision, the Falun Gong-affiliated daily said in a report on Thursday, citing anonymous sources with insight into the PLA’s inner workings. The opposition is not the opinion of a few generals, but a widely shared view among the PLA cadre, the Epoch Times cited them as saying. “Chinese forces know full well that
RSS