The Hualien County Council has decided to suspend all scheduled meetings through May in order to reduce the chances of spreading the new coronavirus.

There is currently no confirmed case of COVID-19 infection in Hualien. At an ad hoc meeting on Tuesday, councilor and DPP Lawmaker Chuang Chih-tsai proposed to postpone all scheduled meetings in order to avoid community infection. More than half voted in favor of the proposal and the county has since forwarded the decision to the interior ministry for approval.

The official in charge of the council’s logistics said that suspending meetings from March through May will not affect its budget.    [FULL  STORY]

Fox News
Date: Mar. 24, 2020
 

Taiwan Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushie Joseph Wu discusses how Taiwan is managing the coronavirus spread.    [S9URCE]

 

900 students affected by class cancelations at Taiwan's National Tsing Hua University after coronavirus case confirmed

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/03/24
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — After someone at National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) was diagnosed with Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), 20 classes have been suspended, affecting nearly 1,000 students and instructors.

On Tuesday (March 24), NTHU President Hong Hocheng (賀陳弘) announced on Facebook that because 26 students and faculty had come in contact with a confirmed case, they will need to begin a 14-day quarantine. In addition, Hong announced that 20 classes would be suspended, affecting over 900 people.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 03/24/2020
By: Ku Chuan, Ye Su-ping and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, March 24 (CNA) The government has been rolling out a slew of measures to counter the economic impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, including providing compensation, subsidies and tax breaks for businesses, individuals and organizations affected by the disease.

As part of the relief measures, government banks will cut interest rates on loans for self-use homes valued at NT$10 million or less by 0.5 percentage points for six months, Minister without Portfolio Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said Tuesday.

Furthermore, individual income taxpayers will be allowed to apply to postpone their deadlines for income tax payments by up to one year or paying by installment for up to three years, according to Kung.

For small businesses that do not need to issue invoices but which are severely affected by COVID-19, the government will lower their corporate-tax rates to as low as zero, he added.
[FULL  STORY]

INTERPELLATION SESSION: The premier and Mainland Affairs Council minister were grilled yesterday at the legislature by Taiwan Statebuilding Party Legislator Chen Po-wei

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 25, 2020
By: Sean Lin / Staff reporter

Taiwan and China are two separate nations, and cross-strait exchanges can be beneficial and should not be completely cut off, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) told lawmakers yesterday amid questions about the role of the Mainland Affairs Council and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Taiwan Statebuilding Party Legislator Chen Po-wei (陳柏惟) said COVID-19 has put the safety of Taiwanese at risk and could tarnish the nation’s reputation, as foreigners often confuse Chinese with Taiwanese “since they all have black hair and yellow skin.”

He asked Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chen Ming-tong (陳明通) what the council’s responsibilities were, adding that the council should not be promoting cross-strait exchanges, which China could use to assimilate Taiwanese.

The council works to ensure that protocols for cross-strait exchanges are observed, the nation’s sovereignty is respected and the safety needs of Taiwanese are met, the minister said.
[FULL  STORY]

All major events between March and June to be reviewed: Ministry of National Defense

Taiwan News
Date: 02020/03/23
B:y Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Visits by military delegations from the United States and Singapore will be postponed, as the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has forced a thorough review of events from May to June, the Ministry of National Defense announced Monday (March 23).

Taiwan’s military had planned several large-scale event for the period, but they are likely to be either postponed or canceled in order to prevent the spread of the virus, CNA reported.

While Taiwan and Singapore do not maintain official diplomatic relations, troops from the Southeast Asian city state often visit the island for training, which will now not take place until after June.

The U.S. had intended to send a delegation to witness the 36th annual edition of the Han Kuang drills, but they have already been postponed due to the virus outbreak.    [FULL  STORY8]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 03/23/2020
By William Yen

Taipei, March 23 (CNA) Taiwan public health experts urged the public Monday not to stigmatize and to show support for those undergoing quarantine because of the COVID-19 coronavirus, citing examples from overseas from which the Taiwanese public can learn.

At a press conference in Taipei, Chang Shu-sen (張書森), an associate professor at the Institute of Health Behavior and Community Sciences, said that even though the public are encouraged to promote social distancing during the pandemic, they should not totally disconnect from friends and family members who are fighting the virus or who are in quarantine.

"Social distancing is not the same as social disconnection or exclusion," Chang said.

Instead, the real goal is to widen the physical distance between people to slow the spread of the pandemic, Chang said, adding that people can still show their love, affection and care through a phone call.    [FULL  STORY]