KEY FINDING: People are most at risk of contracting COVID-19 if they are exposed to someone a few days before or a week after they begin to display symptoms

Taipei Times
Date: May 03, 2020
By: Staff writer, with CNA

The transmission of COVID-19 has been found to be highest within a week of the onset of symptoms, according to a medical study authored by a Taiwanese research team that was published by the American Medical Association on Friday.

The research paper “Contact Tracing Assessment of COVID-19 Transmission Dynamics in Taiwan and Risk at Different Exposure Periods Before and After Symptom Onset” was authored by six researchers for the Taiwan COVID-19 Outbreak Investigation Team and published in the monthly peer-reviewed medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

The paper, which collected data from Jan. 15 to March 18, with a final follow-up on April 2, followed Taiwan’s first 100 confirmed patients and 2,761 of their close contacts to determine transmissibility of the coronavirus before and immediately after the onset of symptoms.The findings indicated that the infection rate was higher among contacts whose exposure to index cases started within five days of the onset of symptoms than those who were exposed later.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 01 May, 2020
By: Shirley Lin

The Bureau of Foreign Trade announced Friday that it is putting export controls in place on 75% rubbing alcohol and disinfectant.

Trade bureau officials say that after inventory checks and an evaluation of Taiwan’s current supplies, the government has found that export limits are needed as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Starting Friday, no one will be able to export 75% rubbing alcohol or disinfectant without a permit from the health ministry. The officials did not say how soon the restriction might be lifted.    [SOURCE]

PJ Media
Date: May 01, 2020
By: Jim Treacher

Earlier this week, I told you about how our friends Down Under aren’t taking any of China’s crap. Australia wants an investigation into the origins of COVID-19 the Chinese virus, so of course the Chinese aren’t happy. The virus came from China, the Chinese government lied about it and covered it up and silenced whistleblowers, and absolutely everybody knows it. But you’re not supposed to say that, because China is full of Chinese people and therefore criticizing them is racist. So when China threatened economic sanctions and Australia told ’em to stuff it, that was bad and it made libs angry.
[FULL  STORY]

Scholars at NCAFP's Forum on Asia-Pacific Security believe global economic recession more urgent

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/05/01
By: Kelvin Chen, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Experts from Taiwan, China, and the U.S. held a video conference last week to discuss cross-strait relations, which they largely believe should stay stable during the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, as the global economic recession is more urgent.

The National Council on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP) hosted its Forum on Asia-Pacific Security (FAPS), CNA reported Thursday (April 30). This included a video conference on April 20, inviting senior scholars from the three countries to discuss cross-strait relations during the coronavirus crisis.

According to the summary report released by NCAFP, participants largely believed both sides of the strait were waiting for the other to make concessions and regarded their actions as a deterrence. The report suggested that if the two sides strengthened dialogue on epidemic prevention and economic development, such as coordinating humanitarian charter flights and resuming academic exchanges, it could relieve cross-strait tensions.

An unnamed Taiwan scholar said Hong Kong ’s anti-extradition protests and the outbreak of the coronavirus had prompted Taiwan to maintain a “social distance” from China. This was consistent with the overall political and economic trends of the island nation.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date:05/01/2020
By: Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, May 1 (CNA) Traffic was generally smooth around Taiwan on the first day of the three-day Labor Day holiday Friday except for heavy congestion in the north, especially between the Greater Taipei area and Yilan County, according to the National Freeway Bureau.

As of 7 p.m., the heaviest congestion was reported on several freeway sections in Keelung, New Taipei and Yilan, where travel speeds remained below 40 kilometers per hour, according to the bureau's online traffic service.

These sections included the southbound lanes of Freeway No. 1 between the Dahua and Keelung exits, the southbound lanes of Freeway No. 5 between the Nangang and Pinglin exits, and the northbound lanes of Freeway No. 5 between the Toucheng and Pinglin exits, the "1968" website showed.

For much of the day, vehicles on the southbound section between the Nangang and Pinglin exits traveled at under 20 kph and were stuck at 20-40 kph going through the nearly 13-km long Xueshan Tunnel in the same direction to Toucheng.    [FULL  STORY]

‘90-90-90’: The nation is just shy of meeting the goals of a UN initiative for 90 percent awareness, 90 percent antiviral therapy rate and 90 percent viral suppression

Taipei Times
Date: May 02, 2020
By: Staff writer, with CNA

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday started promoting quick home tests to detect HIV to allow more people to be aware of their status.

The CDC is promoting the “OraQuick HIV Self-Test,” which allows people to test for HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies with an oral swab in just 20 minutes in the privacy of their own homes, with the chance of prizes and free testing with each kit purchased.

The NT$200 kits can be purchased at 362 locations, including pharmacies and saunas, as well as from 26 vending machines nationwide, the CDC said, adding that online ordering with pickup at convenience stores would be available from May 12.

The promotion provides users an electronic coupon for another test kit to be issued free of charge when they register their initial results online, the agency said in a statement.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 30 April, 2020
By: John Van Trieste

Deputy Justice Minister Chen Ming-tang says that Taiwan may need two to three years before it can lower the legal age of majority to 18.

Under current laws, legal adulthood begins at the age of 20. However, there has been a push to lower this age to 18. The Legislature is planning to launch a committee on amending the constitution, which may look at lowering the age of majority. Meanwhile, several lawmakers from different party camps have proposed amending the Civil Code to lower the age.

For its part, the justice ministry has been gathering views on the issue from a range of government agencies, and it is assessing the impact that changing the start of legal adulthood could have.

During a legislative committee meeting Thursday, the deputy justice minister said Taiwan has 197 laws and 424 regulations that reference the age of majority. He said that before any change can be made, an appropriate government agency will have to look at each of these laws and decide whether the text about reaching adulthood needs amending.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan National Police Agency head rejects aquittal of cop killer, vows to appeal case

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/04/30
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — National Police Agency (NPA) Director-General Chen Chia-chin (陳家欽) vowed to appeal against the not guilty verdict handed down Thursday (April 30) by the Chiayi District Court in a cop slaying case on grounds that the defendant was suffering from mental illness.

Chen said that the nation's entire police force could not accept the sentence, which was tantamount to saying killing a police officer was not a crime, CNA reported.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 04/30/2020
By: Chiang I-ching, Liu Chien-pang, Wang Cheng-chung and Ko Lin

Chiayi, April 30 (CNA) A passenger who fatally stabbed a railway police officer in Chiayi City last July was ruled innocent of murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility on Thursday, but was ordered to be detained in a secure facility, where he must undergo mental health treatment for five years.

The 54-year-old passenger, surnamed Cheng (鄭), had been detained on homicide charges after he stabbed 24-year-old railway police officer Lee Cheng-han (李承翰) on a train from Tainan to Taipei on July 3, when he was found to lack a valid ticket.

Lee died in hospital the following day.

On Thursday, judges at the Chiayi District Court described Cheng's long history of schizophrenia as the reason for their ruling, citing Article 19, Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code that lists mental illness as possible grounds for a commuted sentence.    [FULL  STORY]