HEALTH
Imported case confirmed
The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported one new imported case of COVID-19, bringing the nation’s total to 1,073 cases. The case is a Malaysian man in his 40s who arrived in Taiwan for work on Thursday, Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is the CECC’s spokesman, told a news briefing. Upon his arrival in Taiwan, the man was found to have a fever of 38.5°C and was immediately sent to a hospital, where he underwent a COVID-19 test. The test came back positive on Sunday, Chuang said. Among the confirmed COVID-19 cases in the nation, 957 have been classified as imported. Of the total, 1,033 have recovered, 11 have died and 29 are in hospital, CECC data showed yesterday.
GOVERNMENT
Cabinet hires ex-spokesman
The Executive Yuan yesterday said that its former spokesman Ting Yi-ming (丁怡銘) has been hired as a paid consultant by the Cabinet. Ting resigned as spokesman in November last year after falsely claiming that an award-winning beef noodle soup restaurant served meat containing ractopamine residues. Executive Yuan spokesman Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) yesterday said Ting has expertise in policy research and advocacy, and abundant experience working with local and central governments, so he should be competent in offering advice to Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) on policy research and communications. Regarding criticism that hiring Ting goes against the civil service promotion system, Lo said the Executive Yuan has always recruited consultants as “confidential officers” or “senior civil servants,” adding that the former come and go with the premier, so they do not block civil servants’ promotions.
HEALTHCARE
Lai announces new program
The government is to invest NT$2.8 billion (US$98.80 million) in a medical care promotion program from this year to 2024 to provide better healthcare services for children, Vice President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai elaborated on the government’s efforts to improve the quality of healthcare for children in a pre-recorded speech delivered during an award ceremony to honor people who have contributed to healthcare for children. The program aims to reduce child mortality rates, and prevent and reduce disease and disability in children, Lai said. The program would include a stratified appointment system, in which patients with minor symptoms would be directed to small clinics, while those with serious illnesses would be directed to major hospitals, he said. It would also include a two-way referral system between hospitals and community health centers to use medical resources more efficiently, he added.
TOURISM
Carriers apply for ‘bubble’
Two more airlines have expressed an interest in entering the Taiwan-Palau travel market, despite weak demand for flights under a “travel bubble” established between the two countries, the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) said on Saturday. Palau Express has applied with the CAA to operate an agency to handle its business in Taiwan, the regulator said. However, the airline would still need permission from Palauan authorities to operate under the “travel bubble,” it said, adding that it has not heard from its Palauan counterpart of any such arrangement. Taipei-based StarLux Airlines has applied for rights to operate on the route, the CAA said.
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
PEAK MONTHS: Data showed that on average 25 to 27 typhoons formed in the Pacific and South China seas annually, with about four forming per month in July and October One of three tropical depressions in the Pacific strengthened into a typhoon yesterday afternoon, while two others are expected to become typhoons by today, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Lee Ming-hsiang (李名翔) said yesterday. The outer circulation of Tropical Depression No. 20, now Typhoon Mitag, has brought light rain to Hualien, Taitung and areas in the south, Lee said, adding that as of 2pm yesterday, Mitag was moving west-northwest at 16kph, but is not expected to directly affect Taiwan. It was possible that Tropical Depression No. 21 would become a typhoon as soon as last night, he said. It was moving in a
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) put Taiwan in danger, Ma Ying-jeou Foundation director Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) said yesterday, hours after the de facto US embassy said that Beijing had misinterpreted World War II-era documents to isolate Taiwan. The AIT’s comments harmed the Republic of China’s (ROC) national interests and contradicted a part of the “six assurances” stipulating that the US would not change its official position on Taiwan’s sovereignty, Hsiao said. The “six assurances,” which were given by then-US president Ronald Reagan to Taiwan in 1982, say that Washington would not set a date for ending arm sales to Taiwan, consult
A Taiwanese academic yesterday said that Chinese Ambassador to Denmark Wang Xuefeng (王雪峰) disrespected Denmark and Japan when he earlier this year allegedly asked Japan’s embassy to make Taiwan’s representatives leave an event in Copenhagen. The Danish-language Berlingske on Sunday reported the incident in an article with the headline “The emperor’s birthday ended in drama in Copenhagen: More conflict may be on the way between Denmark and China.” It said that on Feb. 26, the Japanese embassy in Denmark held an event for Japanese Emperor Naruhito’s birthday, with about 200 guests in attendance, including representatives from Taiwan. After addressing the Japanese hosts, Wang
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