NCHU’s findings published in scientific journal as researchers introduce new strategy for developing COVID-19 remedies

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/04/15
By: Ching-Tse Cheng, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A group of researchers from the National Chung Hsing University (NCHU) has proposed an alternative method for developing a Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine to prevent the virus from mutating.

The team, led by NCHU Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics Director Hou Ming-Hon (侯明宏), has conducted research with George Mason University, hoping to uncover the mysteries behind the coronavirus' ability to create variations of itself in such a short time. Their findings were published by the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry in its March issue, according to UDN.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 04/15/2020
By: Emerson Lim

Gilberto Lauengco, vice chairman of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (left) and Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) Representative Michael Hsu (right)

Taipei, April 15 (CNA) A shipment of 300,000 surgical face masks donated by Taiwan to the Philippines arrived in the capital Manila on Wednesday to help the neighboring country fight the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Gilberto Lauengco, vice chairman of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), formally accepted the donation from Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) Representative Michael Hsu (徐佩勇) at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.

The 300,000 masks were shipped to the Philippines on EVA Air, one of Taiwan's two major airlines.

"MECO, on behalf of the Philippine government, thanks the Taiwan government for its kind gesture of helping with its efforts against the pandemic and the donation will be a welcome reinforcement for hospital frontliners," according to a statement issued by MECO, the de facto Philippine embassy in Taiwan.    [FULL  STORY]

‘CRIMINAL RING’: Water collected from a dumping site contained levels of nickel nine times the highest allowable limit, Shih Sheng-chun of the EPA said

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 16, 2020
By: Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporter

Twenty-six people are facing charges for illegally dumping industrial waste across five municipalities, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said yesterday.

A “criminal ring” of concrete processing firms and waste disposal operators allegedly dumped industrial waste at 11 locations in Taichung, as well as Changhua, Nantou, Yunlin and Miaoli counties, the agency said.

The waste was dumped at pits left open by illicit mining operations or on rented properties, it said, describing the act as “organized crime” aimed at profiteering.

After receiving intelligence last year, the Changhua District Prosecutors’ Office asked the EPA to track the records of the waste disposal operators and found that they had filed falsified records.
[FULL  STORY]

Simple Mart and PXMart stores nationwide as well as all convenience stores now available for mask pickup

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/04/14
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Registration for the fifth round of surgical mask online orders (eMask) will be received from Wednesday (April 15) to Friday and the ordered masks will be available for pickup from April 23 – May 6, the China Times reported on Wednesday.

Since the eMask system was inaugurated on March 12, it has made purchasing masks more convenient for people who lack the time to queue.

Those eligible for the fifth round of eMask orders are people who had obtained masks through the third-round online orders and need to replenish their mask supply.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 04/14/2020
By Wen Kuei-hsiang and Joseph Yeh

Taipei, April 14 (CNA) Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) was praised as one of the world's female leaders to have shown "true leadership" during the COVID-19 crisis, according to a Forbes magazine article published Monday.

Tsai was also lauded for her "decisiveness" in introducing a series of pandemic control measures that successfully contained the outbreak in Taiwan.

In the article titled "What Do Countries With The Best Coronavirus Reponses Have In Common? Women Leaders," published online by the American business magazine, Tsai was listed as an example of a female leader who has been successful in the fight against the coronavirus disease.

Other females leaders mentioned in the same article include Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern; Iceland Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir, as well as females leaders in Finland, Norway and Denmark.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 15, 2020
By: Sean Lin / Staff reporter

Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday voiced support for changing the name of China Airlines (CAL, 中華航空), but said it was not an easy thing to do, as it could affect the nation’s aviation rights.

Amid calls by lawmakers and members of the public for the national carrier to be renamed, Su told reporters at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei that the government would highlight “Taiwan” on the fuselage of CAL planes delivering donated medical supplies to show that they are not from China.

The issue was raised after photographs of CAL planes delivering shipments of masks donated to European nations led some people outside of Taiwan to think the masks had come from China, which Su said had put the nation at an unfair disadvantage.

As of yesterday, an online petition calling for CAL’s name to be changed to “Taiwan Airlines” had 47,000 signatures, while a motion sponsored by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lin Yi-chin (林宜瑾) to have the nation’s official English-language title changed to “[Republic of] Taiwan” or “Chunghwa” has gained the backing of 17 lawmakers.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 13 April, 2020
By: Leslie Liao

The Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation has had to get creative in order to enforce social distancing guidelines. They’re not playing around when it comes to keeping people apart.

The Zuoying High Speed Rail (HSR) station in Southern Taiwan tried to play nice and remind people to maintain social distance. At first, they tried to mark seats with an “X” to remind people to give each other space.

But stationmaster Liu Jun-zhe (劉俊哲) says that people didn’t abide by reminders or markers in the station. He said that any effort by staff to enforce social distancing risked turning into a conflict. 

So what happens when people don’t listen? Well, that’s when the power tools come out! When people refused to leave seats empty, the HSR went ahead and removed the middle seats. 

In their new configuration, the seats force people to comply with the 1.5 meter social distancing guidelines.    [FULL  STORY]

With U.S.-China relations showing scant improvement, Taiwan may bolster its global standing.

Forreign Policy
Date: Apri0l 13, 2020
By: Nicole Jao

Chen Chin-fang, the plant manager of Taiwan's Universal Incorporation, one of the country's biggest mask-makers, inspects mask materials at a factory in Tainan on March 6. SAM YEH/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

The coronavirus pandemic, which has already infected more than 1.6 million people around the world, has transformed the value of basic medical supplies. In many countries, vital gear such as face masks, swabs, gloves, and gowns has dwindled to dangerous lows. Countries are imposing export bans on personal protective equipment (PPE) precisely as governments are scrambling to import record numbers of the same items. International supply chains for medical supplies have never been so dysfunctional—and the countries that produce them have never been so powerful.

Taiwan—one of the world’s biggest suppliers of medical-grade masks and one of the few places to have successfully battled back COVID-19—is a case in point. It now has a rare opportunity to leverage this moment to make political gains against its long-running antagonist, China. Taipei will have to play its cards carefully, however—especially in Washington.

Taiwan, with a population of just 23 million people, is now the second-largest global producer of face masks after China. It produces 15 million masks each day, according to Taiwan’s economic affairs minister, Shen Jong-chin. As more factories join forces to churn out medical-grade masks, the government expects to raise production to 17 million masks a day by the end of the month. In March, Taipei relaxed an export ban on masks imposed on Jan. 24.

The United States, which now has the most coronavirus cases in the world, stands to benefit. Last month, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu pledged to donate 100,000 surgical face masks per week to the United States. The United States, in return, would agree to send 300,000 hazmat suits to Taiwan.
[FULL  STORY]

The county's agricultural department said it’s sad to see fat Formosan macaques of sort in photo

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/04/13
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A photo posted on Facebook on Saturday (April 11) showing an obese Formosan macaque at a popular attraction in Taiwan’s eastern county of Taitung prompted many social media users to respond, including many calls for visitors to stop feeding the wild monkeys.

Facebook user Tsai Huan-dong (蔡煥棟) posted a photo of three Formosan macaques, with one being particularly fat, and captioned the photo “The fatty at Dengxian Bridge of the Donghe-Fuli Highway.” The post prompted comments from other users, including “Really too fat,” “So fat,” “Eat too well,” and “Sad to watch…don’t feed again,” CNA reported.

The county’s agricultural department said that the county put in place regulations four years ago that stipulate fines of up to NT$10,000 (US$334) for those caught feeding wild monkeys.

However, according to the department, no tickets have yet been issued, as it’s not easy to catch violators.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiiwan
Date: 04/13/2020
By: William Yen

Taipei, April 13 (CNA) The annual firefly season in Taipei and its many events have been canceled because of restrictions imposed to combat the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic, the city's Parks and Street Lights Office (PSLO) said Monday.

This year's activities, which originally included firefly tour guides, concerts, and celebrations for Earth Day, held every April 22 to promote environmental protection, have all been canceled as part of social distancing measures, the PSLO said in a statement.

The firefly season was originally slated to be held from April 13 to May 3 at various parks across the city, the PSLO said.

Even though the event and its activities have been canceled, people can still visit Taipei's Daan Forest Park, Muzha Park, and Rongxing Park to see fireflies, PSLO Director Chen Jung-hsing (陳榮興) said.
[FULL  STORY]