The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday revoked an order by the Kinmen County Government demanding that all visitors arriving by plane had to provide a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for COVID-19 within three days of their flight, or take a rapid antigen test upon arrival at the airport.
The center issued a news release at midnight yesterday, stating that it had revoked a proclamation issued by the Kinmen County Government on Sunday ordering “all aircraft passengers arriving at Kinmen to cooperate with its contact information registration and take a rapid COVID-19 test, starting from May 24.”
The CECC said the proclamation had breached the third item of Article 37 of the Communicable Disease Control Act (傳染病防治法), and that the Kinmen government did not file a written application in advance.
Photo courtesy of the Central Epidemic Command Center
It added that Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the CECC, had called Kinmen County Commissioner Yang Cheng-wu (楊鎮浯) on Sunday evening to inform him that the order would be revoked because it was not legally authorized.
Yang yesterday morning wrote on Facebook that the county government had twice last week sent an official document to the CECC, suggesting that it set up rapid testing stations at airports with domestic flights to Kinmen or allow a station to be set up at Kinmen Airport, but received no response.
He said the proclamation was issued because Kinmen residents are concerned that COVID-19 would spread to the island, but as it has been revoked, the county government would suggest that arriving visitors receive an optional rapid antigen test.
Chen yesterday said that the CECC had received the documents, but had replied that the policy would be “unfavorable,” as it would create a division between Kinmen and the rest of Taiwan, which would harm the principle of having consistent rules across the nation.
Separately, Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen (陳宗彥), who is a deputy head of the center, yesterday rejected online rumors about COVID-19, including claims that “20,000 people have gone missing in Taipei and New Taipei City,” “hospitals are dumping bodies of COVID-19 victims into rivers” and “leaked chat logs among physicians show that statistics are being fabricated.”
The false stories about “Taipei and New Taipei City becoming haunted cities, with 20,000 people missing, and black smoke being seen above Taipei’s Second Funeral Parlor, as it is allegedly burning bodies of Wanhua District (萬華) pneumonia patients” was spread through a Twitter account that was posing as the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper), he said.
Chen said that the three false rumors are being spread by accounts registered under foreign IP addresses, and people should stop spreading them to avoid breaking the law.
Meanwhile, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) asked the judiciary to investigate a massive disinformation campaign targeting one of the CECC’s news and information platforms.
Just after 10am yesterday, messages aimed at undermining the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) official Line account began flooding Professional Technology Temple’s Gossip Board and other popular chat sites, accusing the CDC of covering up the nation’s actual COVID-19 figures, Wang said.
The messages told people not to trust the CDC’s Line account, saying they should delete it.
Wang said that it was obviously a well-coordinated “cognitive warfare” campaign by China.
Its aims are to mislead the public, create confusion and sow distrust, Wang said.
“Cognitive warfare has a severe effect on Taiwan’s national security,” Wang said, calling for prosecutions to be made using the National Security Act (國家安全法), which in serious cases could see perpetrators serve more than seven years in prison and be fined a maximum of NT$100 million (US$3.58 million).
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man