The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday urged people undergoing a 14-day mandatory quarantine and those in mandatory seven-day self-health management to abide by the rules, as 899 people have been fined for violations.
However, the center reported no new case of COVID-19 and the number of confirmed cases in the nation remains at 495.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), head of the center, also said that Vietnam has been moved to the list of “low infection risk countries or areas,” from which short-term business travelers can apply for a shorter quarantine period of five days.
Photo: Lin Yi-chang, Taipei Times, courtesy of Chiayi City Councilor Cheng Kuang-hung’s office
Meanwhile, Hong Kong has been moved to the list of “low to medium infection risk countries or areas,” for which the quarantine period can be shortened to seven days upon approved application, Chen added.
He said that the center in the past few weeks noticed that some people have let their guard down and neglected the quarantine orders, citing local news reports on Tuesday about the chairman of a New Taipei City-based company being fined NT$500,000 (US$16,932) for violating quarantine rules.
Kang Hsuan Educational Publishing Group chairman Mike Lee (李萬吉) was reported to have left his home quarantine to exercise and attend business meetings at his company, after having returned from China. The company issued a statement on Tuesday saying that Lee appologize for his behavior.
Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen (陳宗彥), who is also the deputy head of the center, said that Lee had left his mobile phone at home so that the “electronic fence” system could not track him.
The system notifies police if people leave their quarantine locations or turn off their mobile phones.
Among more than 270,000 people who have been put under quarantine in Taiwan, the violation rate is below 0.35 percent, he said, adding that Lee represents a very rare case.
The fines imposed on 899 people total NT$116.04 million, he said.
Local media yesterday reported the case of a 26-year-old military draftee who did not report to his unit about having had close contact with his brother, who is under home quarantine after returning from Spain on Friday last week, before boarding a bus with 30 other draftees.
All the draftees on the bus were later put under home quarantine.
Asked about the case, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is also the CECC spokesman, said the man and his brother had stayed on different floors with separate bathrooms at their home, but had close contact for a short period of time.
However, as the brother is not a confirmed COVID-19 case, those who had close contact with him are not required to quarantine under CECC guidelines, and the decision to impose quarantines was made by the military, Chuang said.
In addition, Chen Shih-chung said that people who purchased masks with “Carry mask” imprints through the government’s rationing system could still exchange them for new ones at National Health Insurance-contracted pharmacies and local public health centers after Friday, the original deadline.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS