Focus Taiwan
Date: 05/28/2020
By: Chen Chih-chung and Matthew Mazzetta

Taipei, May 28 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of Education (MOE) said Thursday it will investigate allegations by a teacher's union that students from Eswatini, the nation's only diplomatic ally in Africa, were forced into exploitive "internships" after enrolling in a work/study program at MingDao University (MDU) in Changhua County.

The case, which only broke in the Taiwanese media last week, goes back to 2018 when MDU recruited about 40 students to a four-year "Taiwan Work/Study Scholarship" program, promising the opportunity to develop off-campus work skills and experience while completing a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.

In a recruitment brochure, the university offered applicants a range of financial inducements, while touting the program as "ultra-affordable."

In November 2018, Eswatini media reported that the students were being forced to work 40 hours a week peeling chicken skins in a refrigerated factory in exchange for their lessons and accommodation.    [FULL  STORY]

CONTACT TRACING: People should be told what type of data is being collected, its purpose and how it is to be used, with all information to be deleted after 28 days

Taipei Times
Dakte: May 29, 2020
By: Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporter

The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday released guidelines for the collection of personal data by public venues for health authorities to use if needed for COVID-19-related investigations.

The purpose of collecting such information is to allow health authorities to contact visitors to a location quickly if necessary, it said.

The guidelines are meant for various operators who might find it necessary to ask people to register, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), head of the center, said at its daily briefing in Taipei.

Collected information can only be used at the request of health authorities for COVID-19 investigations, said Chien Hung-wei (簡宏偉), who heads the center’s information team.
[FULL  STORY]

Shephard News
Date: 27th May 2020
By:  The Shephard News Team

The Chinese military has criticised the US decision to sell approximately $180 million of military equipment to Taiwan and has urged Washington to break military ties with the island nation, which Beijing refuses to recognise as a sovereign state.

Speaking at a press conference on 24 May, Senior Col Wu Qian, Director General of the Information Office at the MND, said: ‘The US act is a grave violation of the One China principle and the three China-US joint communiques. It seriously interferes in China’s internal affairs.’    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 05/27/2020
By: Chang Ming-hsuan and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, May 27 (CNA) With no domestically transmitted cases of COVID-19 reported since April 12, rules on social distancing seating arrangements in cinemas and other public venues will be relaxed from June 7, according to Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), head of the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Wednesday.

In a radio interview, Chen said that starting June 7, restrictions on the number of people allowed to gather at cultural and leisure events will be lifted, while restaurants will no longer be required to install table dividers as long as there is sufficient space between tables.

However, when tables are close together and customers not from the same group, dividers will be required until a COVID-19 vaccine or treatment has been developed, he added.

Meanwhile, social distancing seating arrangements will be lifted on Taiwan Railways Administration trains and high-speed rail trains, concert halls, theaters and baseball stadiums. Although travelers and fans will still need to wear masks, under certain conditions the consumption of food will be allowed.    [FULL  STORY]

RELAXING CONTROLS: As the nation has sufficiently ramped up mask production, sales would be allowed to resume and a limit on sending masks is to be lifted

Taipei Times
Date: May 28, 2020
By: Lee I-chia / Staff reporter

A “new disease prevention lifestyle” is mainly being promoted as part of preparations for the loosening of border controls, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said yesterday, as the nation marked the 45th day of no local COVID-19 infections.

A total of 419 patients have been released from isolation after treatment, said Chen, who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

A group of 96 Taiwanese who had been stranded in Russia due to the COVID-19 pandemic on Tuesday returned to Taiwan, nine of whom reported suspected symptoms after arrival: two with diarrhea and seven with respiratory symptoms, including one who also developed an abnormal sense of smell, he said at the CECC’s daily news conference in Taipei.

The results of the first round of testing on the nine people yesterday returned negative, Chen said, adding that the other 87 people would also be tested.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 26 May, 2020
By: Paula Chao

Taiwan's representative to Israel, Paul Chang (3rd from right), donated 100,000 face masks to Israel. (Photo by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Tel-Aviv)

Taiwan has donated 100,000 face masks to Israel. The head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Tel-Aviv, Paul Chang, donated the masks to Israel’s Red Cross on Monday.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in Wuhan, China last December, Israel has reported over 16,000 confirmed infections, including 280 fatalities.    [FULL  STORY]

78% proud to be Taiwanese as opposed to Chinese, 66% reject future unification with China

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/05/26
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Health and Welfare Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) are performing well in opinion polling due to the government’s handling of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, while the campaign to remove Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) has been gaining ground, reports said Tuesday (May 26).

The Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation (TPOF) found that 71 percent approve of President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) handling of national affairs, 69 percent have faith in the DPP government, and 55 percent are satisfied with the government’s financial relief measures during the pandemic, with the proportion of dissatisfied respondents totaling 38 percent.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 05/26/2020
By: Wu Jui-chi, Chen Yun-yu, Yang Ming-chu, Lee Hsin-Yin and Emerson Lim

Taipei, May 26 (CNA) A total of 94 Taiwanese nationals, along with two Russian spouses, arrived in Taiwan Tuesday after being stranded in Russia for months due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

The number of coronavirus patients in Russia increased sharply in March. To date, the country has reported over 350,000 confirmed cases with more than 3,600 deaths, prompting some Taiwanese nationals living there opting to return home.

However, they had been prevented from doing so due to the unavailability of flights between Taiwan and Russia amid the pandemic.

The 96 passengers, most of them students and businessmen, arrived at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and immediately quarantined for 14 days in accordance with the Central Epidemic Command Center's (CECC) instructions.    [FULL  STORY]