Young Fine Gael (YFG), the youth wing of the Irish Fine Gael party, on Friday urged the Irish government to support Taiwan’s bid to obtain observer status at the WHO, adding that it was also drafting a statement regarding the party’s stance on Irish-Chinese relations.
The WHO, the US Centers for Disease Prevention and Control and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control have been instrumental in helping nations around the world obtain vaccines through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access program, YFG president Art O’Mahony said.
Global pandemics transcend national borders and affect everyone, and the WHO must include all countries and share information for state-to-state collaborations.
Photo: Screenshot from Young Fine Gael’s official Web site
Taiwan is a world leader in its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it should be allowed to share its experiences, O’Mahony said.
Taiwan’s handling of the pandemic differs greatly from the brute-force methods adopted by China, he said.
Global public health should not be driven by politics, and admitting Taiwan to the WHO would make the WHO better prepared for the next public health crisis, he said.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said that Taipei knows that WHO acceptance would be difficult, but the government should do its best to approach countries to help support a bid.
International support for Taiwan obtaining observer status at the WHO has been growing over the years, he said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday listed the people supporting such a bid, citing US Deputy Secretary of State Brian McKeon, who publicly asked WHO Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to allow Taiwan observer participation.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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