The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday updated its application mechanism for entities seeking to verify people’s digital COVID-19 vaccination certification.
The CECC on Sunday announced that people who visit recreational venues offering escort services must show proof of having received three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, and on Tuesday widened the rule for participants in religious pilgrimages, requiring the venues and pilgrimage organizers to verify their vaccination statuses.
Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is the CECC’s spokesman, yesterday announced that the application for scanning people’s digital COVID-19 vaccination certificate has been updated to make it easier and faster for businesses and pilgrimage organizers.
Photo: Hsu Li-chuan, Taipei Times
They can apply at dvc.mohw.gov.tw/verifier-web, he said.
They would be enabled to scan people’s digital COVID-19 vaccination certificate and immediately see whether the person has received the three doses required, he said.
Those who received their second dose more than three months ago should get a booster dose, he added.
Chuang said people who have been vaccinated in other countries can register their vaccination status with their local health departments and their digital vaccination certificate would be updated accordingly.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said that as of Tuesday, Taiwan’s first, second and booster dose vaccination rates were 83.4 percent, 78.28 percent and 49.69 percent respectively.
Asked whether the CECC is considering to offer fourth doses to Taiwanese, Chen said that, if needed, additional doses would first be offered to at-risk groups.
However, most people have just received their booster shot, so the center would continue to assess the situation and collect more scientific data before implementing a policy for additional doses, he said.
Meanwhile, the CECC clarified that people need to book an appointment to see a doctor at a contracted clinic before receiving a government-funded at-home rapid COVID-19 test kit.
The CECC on Tuesday said that those who have symptoms associated with COVID-19 should get tested, especially if they had contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case.
Contracted clinics and public health centers would provide them with government-funded rapid test kits, it said.
Chuang yesterday said some people have misunderstood the policy, thinking that anyone can receive the test kits for free.
The test kits would only be given to people with symptoms after an appointment at one of the clinics and approval by a doctor, Chuang said.
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
The manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter. The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said. The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
A group from the Taiwanese Designers in Australia association yesterday represented Taiwan at the Midsumma Pride March in Melbourne. The march, held in the St. Kilda suburb, is the city’s largest LGBTQIA+ parade and the flagship event of the annual Midsumma Festival. It attracted more than 45,000 spectators who supported the 400 groups and 10,000 marchers that participated this year, the association said. Taiwanese Designers said they organized a team to march for Taiwan this year, joining politicians, government agencies, professionals and community organizations in showing support for LGBTQIA+ people and diverse communities. As the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex
RSS