The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) urged the public to use reusable dining utensils following a spike in the use of disposable utensils amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Reusable utensils are more hygienic than disposable ones after they are properly cleaned,” Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said on Thursday.
The use of disposable utensils has increased about 50 percent, as restaurants provide more disposable tableware amid diners’ concerns over hygiene, Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) Deputy Minister Shen Chih-hsiu (沈志修) said.
The use of disposable utensils rose from a monthly average of 6,720 tonnes last year to 10,700 tonnes during the disease-prevention period, EPA Department of Waste Management Director-General Lai Ying-ying (賴瑩瑩) said.
Customers should not worry about using reusable utensils, while restaurant owners should comply with the Food and Drug Administration’s guidelines on proper cleaning methods for tableware, and disinfect their surroundings on a regular basis, Shen said.
Proper handwashing with soap can effectively remove pathogens on hands, as well as other objects, CECC advisory specialist panel convener Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳) said, adding that washing hands before eating is important.
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
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