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.
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
Advocates of the rights of motorcycle and scooter riders yesterday protested in front of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in Taipei, making three demands. They were joined by 30 passenger vehicles, which surrounded the ministry to make three demands related to traffic regulations — that motorcycles and scooters above 250cc be allowed on highways, that all motorcycles and scooters be allowed on inside lanes, and that driver and rider training programs be reformed. The ministry said that it has no plans to allow motorcycles on national highways for the time being, and said that motorcycles would be allowed on the inner
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition