Taiwan to begin checking all carry-on bags from Philippines for African Swine Fever

Possible ASF cases were detected in two provinces near Manila

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/08/18
By: Teng Pei-ju, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — All travelers from the Philippines will have their carry-on baggage checked during entry to Taiwan starting Monday (Aug. 19) as a precaution against African Swine Fever (ASF).

The Central Emergency Operation Center (CEOC) announced on Sunday (Aug. 18) that all carry-on bags from the Philippines will be examined by X-Ray machines at the airport and other ports of entry after midnight.

Based on reliable sources, ASF cases have been detected in Bulacan and Rizal Province of the Philippines, even though the authorities have not reported the cases to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the center said.

The Philippines thus became the latest country to be listed as a high-risk area for ASF by the Taiwanese authorities, following China, Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, North and South Korea, and Russia.    [FULL  STORY]