All inbound travelers to Taiwan would have their luggage X-rayed at airports to check for pork products, Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said today.
Local health bureaus have also been instructed to further increase the number of market inspections as of this week, he said.
Photo: CNA
The announcement came after African swine fever was detected in Taichung last week.
The Legislative Yuan today invited relevant ministries and agencies to report on the detection and prevention of meat smuggling in overseas parcels, strengthening national borders against epidemics and continuing to enhance domestic prevention of an African swine fever outbreak.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), in coordination with the Customs Administration under the Ministry of Finance, would soon require all passengers from all destinations to undergo animal and plant quarantine inspection, Shih said.
Previously, travelers inbound from countries with risk of African swine fever were handed a “red card” before passing immigration and had carry-on luggage X-rayed for pork products.
Travelers from countries not deemed to be at risk of African swine fever were handed a “green card” and allowed to pass straight through to immigration.
All incoming parcels are currently subject to X-ray screening or manual inspections by the Customs Administration, although X-ray screening is to be expanded, Shih said.
Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration is continuing to inspect vendors and supermarkets selling meat products, including shops selling Southeast Asian goods, he said.
As of this month, a total of 35,000 inspections have been carried out with no cases of African swine fever detected in illegally imported meat products, he added.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency is also coordinating with the Customs Administration and the Coast Guard Administration to inspect inbound travelers, cargo containers, express parcels and coastal fishing vessels, the Ministry of Agriculture said.
The agencies have further implemented strict procedures for the disposal of kitchen waste from international flights and cruise ships, it added.
Additional reporting by Lin Chi-yi
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Kaohsiung at 1pm today, the Central Weather Administration said. The epicenter was in Jiasian District (甲仙), 72.1km north-northeast of Kaohsiung City Hall, at a depth of 7.8km, agency data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in Kaohsiung and Tainan, where it measured a 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale. It also measured a 3 in parts of Chiayi City, as well as Pingtung, Yunlin and Hualien counties, data showed.
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
Taiwan next year plans to launch its first nationwide census on elderly people living independently to identify the estimated 700,000 seniors to strengthen community-based healthcare and long-term care services, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) said yesterday. Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said on the sidelines of a healthcare seminar that the nation’s rapidly aging population and declining birthrate have made the issue of elderly people living alone increasingly pressing. The survey, to be jointly conducted by the MOHW and the Ministry of the Interior, aims to establish baseline data and better allocate care resources, he
RSS