CASE CLOSED: The Central Epidemic Command Center has ended an investigation into more than 250 people who came in contact with Taiwan’s first COVID-19 death

Taipei Times
Date: Feb 23, 2020
By: Lee I-chia  /  Staff reporter

The Central Epidemic Command Center yesterday raised the travel advisories for Japan and South

Korea to a level 2 “alert” — “practice enhanced precautions” — after rapidly rising numbers of locally transmitted COVID-19 infections were reported.

Japan has 110 confirmed cases spread over 14 prefectures, while South Korea has 346 confirmed cases, the center said, adding that more than 70 percent of cases in both countries are suspected of being locally transmitted with an unknown source of infection, and clusters of healthcare-associated infections have been reported.

As the two countries are popular destinations among Taiwanese, the center has decided to elevate the travel advisories, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said, adding that additional border controls might be imposed if the epidemic situations deteriorate.

Travel to Japan or South Korea in the previous 30 days would also be flagged in the National Health Insurance (NHI) information of returning Taiwanese, said Chen, who heads the center.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 21 February, 2020
By:| Shirley Lin

The North American Taiwanese Medical Association (NATMA) on Thursday announced that it will send a delegation to the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva in May. NATMA is the largest organization of overseas Taiwanese physicians and their goal at the WHA is to advocate for Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organization (WHO). They will also campaign for Taiwan to attend future meetings of the WHA.

In the past, NATMA has sent delegations to the WHA five times to plead Taiwan’s case for joining the WHO.    [FULL  STO-RY]

Taiwan Today
Date: February 21, 2020

President Tsai Ing-wen said Feb. 20 that efforts by national institutions researching the virus behind COVID-19 are already showing promising results, with progress toward producing an antiviral drug right on target.
 
State-backed National Health Research Institutes is heading related R&D by leveraging its biotechnological prowess and cutting-edge production facilities, Tsai said.
 
It can now produce Remdesivir, an experimental antiviral drug thought to be effective against coronaviruses, in milligram batches with 97 percent purity, and will proceed to gram batches in two weeks, she added.
 
Tsai made the remarks during a visit to the organization’s base in Miaoli County, northern Taiwan, for an inspection tour of preparedness in the face of a global outbreak of COVID-19 first reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.    [FULL  STORY]

Classes to resume Feb. 25 after extended Lunar New Year holiday

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/02/21
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Beginning Saturday (Feb. 22), children of up to 13 years of age will be allowed to buy four face masks a week, according to a government announcement.

Under current rationing measures, adults can only purchase two masks a week when showing their national health insurance card, but with classes at elementary and secondary schools reopening next week, the demand for children’s masks has been increasing.

Classes had been scheduled to resume after the Lunar New Year holiday on Feb. 11, but because of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the government set Feb. 25 as the new date for the return to school.

Whereas until now children’s masks were reserved for those aged 12 and younger, from Saturday, everybody born from Jan. 1, 2007 will be allowed to buy four a week, CNA reported.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 02/21/2020
By: Emerson Lim and Matthew Mazzetta

Taipei, Feb. 21 (CNA) A China Airlines charter plane carrying 19 Taiwan nationals from the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship arrived in Taiwan from Japan late Friday.

The 19 evacuees, along with four medical workers and seven flight crew, arrived at Taoyuan International Airport at 9:48 p.m. from Tokyo's Haneda Airport.

The Diamond Princess was held under quarantine in Japan's Yokohama Harbor from Feb. 4-19 after it emerged on Feb. 2 that a passenger from Hong Kong who had sailed on one segment of the itinerary was later diagnosed with COVID-19 coronavirus.

Of the 24 Taiwanese on the ship, including 22 passengers and two crew members, five were diagnosed with the virus and have remained in Japan for treatment.    [FULL  STORY]

OVERSEAS OUTBREAKS: Travel advisories for Japan and South Korea are likely to be raised, while a charter flight has evacuated Taiwanese from the ‘Diamond Princess’

Taipei Times
Date: Feb 22, 2020
By: Wu Liang-yi, Chien Hui-ju and Dennis Xie  /  Staff reporters, with staff writer and CNA

Taiwan yesterday confirmed two more COVID-19 cases as part of a family cluster infection, bringing

the nation’s total to 26.

A woman in her 20s and her aunt, in her 40s, have been confirmed as the nation’s 25th and 26th COVID-19 patients respectively, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) told a news conference at the Central Epidemic Command Center.

The 25th patient started coughing on Jan. 28 and developed a fever on Jan. 31 before seeking medical treatment on Feb. 4 and Tuesday last week, while her aunt, who showed no signs of respiratory trouble or a fever, visited a doctor on Feb. 3 and Feb. 6 for gastroesophageal reflux, said Chen, who heads the center.

An initial investigation found that the two women were likely infected by a woman in her 60s — the 24th patient, confirmed on Wednesday, as they are related.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 20 February, 2020
By: Paula Chao

[Should we be worried about COVID-19?]

Faced with non-stop coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak, and news of Taiwan’s first fatality, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed. In today’s show, we’ll not only bring you the latest developments,  we’ll also delve into why the virus is causing so much anxiety.    [FULL  STORY]

Epoch Times
Date: February 20, 2020
By: Zachary Stieber

The United States warned travelers of “apparent community spread” of the new virus in five countries outside of China, as well as the island of Taiwan.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending Americans not travel to China and is also advising travelers of the apparent spread in Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and Taiwan.

“Community spread means people have been infected with the virus, including some who are not sure how or where they became infected. At this time, the extent of virus spread is not sustained or widespread enough to meet the criteria for a travel notice,” the agency stated on its website.
[FULL  STORY]

Cabinet approves package of measures to be reviewed by Legislative Yuan

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/02/20
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Violators of Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) quarantine measures who visit crowded locations or take a Mass Rapid Transit train will soon face up to two years in prison or a fine of NT$2 million (US$65,950) if there was a risk they infected others, according to a package of special measures proposed by the Cabinet Thursday (Feb. 20).

Taiwan has so far recorded 24 cases of coronavirus, including one death. On Thursday, the government presented a new list of measures ranging from subsidies to sanctions.

The latter included maximum prison sentences of five years or fines of up to NT$5 million for hoarding coronavirus prevention items such as masks, CNA reported.

Spreading damaging false information about the outbreak would be targeted with jail terms of up to three years or maximum fines of NT$3 million.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 02/20/2020
By: Chen Wei-ting and Y.F. Low

Taipei, Feb. 20 (CNA) A woman in Taiwan with no history of overseas travel over the past two years has been infected with COVID-19 coronavirus, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) reported late Wednesday.

A further investigation will be conducted to determine if the case is the result of community-level transmission of the virus in Taiwan, the center said.

The woman in her 60s living in northern Taiwan, whose precise location was not disclosed by the CEEC, is the 24th person in the country to be confirmed with the respiratory disease. She first came down with a fever and cough on Jan. 22, according to the CECC.

The patient sought medical attention four times at local clinics but was told that she only had a common cold.    [FULL  STORY]