TOURISM
Nordic countries drop curbs
Sweden and Finland have lifted entry restrictions and quarantine requirements for travelers from Taiwan, following similar decisions by other European countries last month. The Swedish government on Wednesday said that, effective immediately, residents of Taiwan would be allowed to visit the country for tourism, overturning a requirement that visitors prove that their trip is for essential or urgent reasons. They would still need to present a negative COVID-19 test result issued within 48 hours of their flight or proof of vaccination against the virus. A seven-day quarantine is only advised for travelers who have recently visited a “high infection-risk” country, as well as COVID-19 tests on the first and fifth day of arrival. Finland on Tuesday announced that residents of Taiwan would from yesterday be allowed to enter the country without a negative virus test report, proof of vaccination or the need to quarantine. The eased restrictions would apply for those who fly in directly or via countries for which Finland has also lifted restrictions. The Taipei Representative Office in Finland said that Taiwanese should confirm with their airline whether a virus test is mandatory before boarding.
EMPLOYMENT
Furloughs increase further
The number of workers on unpaid leave over the past week surged by 3,397 to 13,626, continuing an uptrend amid a COVID-19 outbreak, Ministry of Labor data showed yesterday. The lodging, and food and beverage sectors, as well as the retail and wholesale industries, have been hit hardest by the nationwide level 3 pandemic alert, posting 6,000 furloughs as of Wednesday, the ministry said. An additional 318 firms in the past week started furlough programs, bringing the total to 1,305, it showed. The retail and wholesale industry had the highest number of firms starting unpaid leave programs, at 321, followed by the lodging, and food and beverage sectors with 267, and the service industry with 184, it showed. The lodging, and food and beverage sectors also accounted for the highest number of furloughed workers, at 4,174, followed by the retail and wholesale sectors with 2,087, and the manufacturing sector with 1,952, it showed. Wang Chin-jung (王金蓉), an official in the ministry’s Labor Conditions and Equal Employment Division, said that most of the firms that have furlough programs are small businesses with fewer than 50 workers.
SOCIETY
Careful shopping urged
People buying perishable items online should only buy from reputable sellers, the Consumer Protection Committee said on Monday. People should check whether information about the product name, manufacturer, contents, additives and expiration date are provided, it said. Products should also be inspected immediately after arrival for defects and expiry dates, it added. If there are any problems, the committee advised taking a photograph or recording, and saving the listing or advertisement to use as evidence when reporting the case. The increase in orders has led to shipment delays, posing greater logistical challenges for refrigerated and frozen foods, it added. If a product is damaged due to temperature, buyers should contact the seller to arrange a return, refund or replacement, it said, adding that fresh food products are not covered by the unconditional seven-day return rule stipulated in the Consumer Protection Act (消費者保護法). However, the act allows “reasonable” exceptions that would apply for perishable items in case of delivery delays during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tropical Storm Nari is not a threat to Taiwan, based on its positioning and trajectory, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Nari has strengthened from a tropical depression that was positioned south of Japan, it said. The eye of the storm is about 2,100km east of Taipei, with a north-northeast trajectory moving toward the eastern seaboard of Japan, CWA data showed. Based on its current path, the storm would not affect Taiwan, the agency said.
The Taipei Department of Health’s latest inspection of fresh fruit and vegetables sold in local markets revealed a 25 percent failure rate, with most contraventions involving excessive pesticide residues, while two durians were also found to contain heavy metal cadmium at levels exceeding safety limits. Health Food and Drug Division Director Lin Kuan-chen (林冠蓁) yesterday said the agency routinely conducts inspections of fresh produce sold at traditional markets, supermarkets, hypermarkets, retail outlets and restaurants, testing for pesticide residues and other harmful substances. In its most recent inspection, conducted in May, the department randomly collected 52 samples from various locations, with testing showing
Taipei and other northern cities are to host air-raid drills from 1:30pm to 2pm tomorrow as part of urban resilience drills held alongside the Han Kuang exercises, Taiwan’s largest annual military exercises. Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung, Taoyuan, Yilan County, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County are to hold the annual Wanan air defense exercise tomorrow, following similar drills held in central and southern Taiwan yesterday and today respectively. The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and Maokong Gondola are to run as usual, although stations and passenger parking lots would have an “entry only, no exit” policy once air raid sirens sound, Taipei
Taiwan is bracing for a political shake-up as a majority of directly elected lawmakers from the main opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) face the prospect of early removal from office in an unprecedented wave of recall votes slated for July 26 and Aug. 23. The outcome of the public votes targeting 26 KMT lawmakers in the next two months — and potentially five more at later dates — could upend the power structure in the legislature, where the KMT and the smaller Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) currently hold a combined majority. After denying direct involvement in the recall campaigns for months, the
RSS